Potato pancakes seem especially good on a cold, rainy day. These are made with yellow Finn potatoes, but Yukon Gold or russets will work fine. The key is to ring out the excess water that is in the potatoes before you cook them. Fresh stewed apples, along with a dollop of Greek-style yogurt or sour cream, complete the dish.
Ingredients
For the stewed apples:
3 large tart apples
1/3 cup sugar (raw sugar works great here)
For the pancakes:
6 medium yellow Finn potatoes, washed and dried
1 medium onion
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon chili aleppo flakes (optional)
Cracked pepper, to taste
Olive oil, duck fat, vegetable oil, goose fat, chicken fat or pork fat for frying
You will also need:
Paring knife
Small saucepan with lid
Grater (box-style works well for this)
Clean kitchen towel
Medium-sized mixing bowl
Large spoon
Large skillet
Metal spatula
Paper towels
Instructions
Peel the apples, core them and cut them into chunks.
Place the apples into a small saucepan and add the sugar. Bring the apples to a boil over high heat, then cover them and reduce the heat to medium. Let the apples cook until tender – about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
Meanwhile, grate the apples and the onion on the largest hole of the box grater.
Place them into a clean towel and sqeeze the towel well to remove excess moisture.
Put the squeezed potatoes and onions into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the egg, salt, baking powder, chili flakes and pepper. Mix well.
Heat the oil or fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potato mixture one large tablespoon at a time. (You may need to cook these in two batches.) Mash the batter a little to make the pancakes flat.
Cook until crispy-brown. Flip the pancakes over and cook on the other side until crisp, as well.
Remove from the oil and put them onto paper towels to drain.
Serve immediately with the stewed apples and Greek-style yogurt or sour cream.
Serves 3-4 people.
