A special treat my MomMay made when we had lots of fresh potatoes were her German-style potato pancakes. Like a really excellent hashbrown patty but with more complex flavor, her potato pancakes were perfectly browned on both sides with tender tasty potatoes on the inside — LenaMay's potato pancakes were a family favorite. (She also made a similar dish using leftover mashed potatoes but that's a different dish.)
MomMay's German-style potato pancakes made a mouth-watering savory treat, ideal for breakfast, a side dish for dinner, or a quick tummy filler.
Bon appetit ~!
Lena May's German-Style Potato Pancakes
Ingredients:
2 lbs (about 6 to 8 medium potatoes, peeled. Mother used russet or Idaho potatoes. We prefer Yukon Gold now but any firm fleshed potato will work.)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup finely chopped Spanish onion (the yellow onion cooks sweeter and gives best flavor for this dish)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup rendered bacon grease or fresh bacon grease. If you decide to serve crisp bacon with your meal, use the pan grease to fry the potato pancakes (leave about 1/4 cup in the pan but add more while preparing separate batches as needed. Your choice to strain out bacon bits or leave in with fresh grease.)
(MEC NOTE: You can add a tablespoon or so of sweet or salty creamery butter. MomMay kept rendered bacon grease always. Never would she pollute these delicious potato pancakes with vegetable oil!)
Toppings suggested for serving (optional but really add to the visual and taste appeal. Suggest you make an attractive topping AND provide side dishes for your guests to add to their plates as desired):
*Applesauce, sour cream, chopped chives, and freshly crumbled crisp bacon, even sliced and browned Polska Kielbasa (Polish type link sausage).
(MomMay made fabulous apple butter and, my favorite, Baked Apples with brown sugar, cinnamon and pie spice)
Note about these Instructions:
Our mother made these often and they were one of my favorite special treats. She served them most often for weekend brunch along with bacon or ham or sausage and eggs AND for a real treat some of her braided sourdough bread! Sometimes cinnamon toast ... Or oven toasted buttered bread slices. Yummy.
The point being I watched MomMay make these, often helped so I searched my memory for how she (later I) made these treats... Here's my
Instructions:
1. Begin heating a large cast iron griddle or skillet over a low heat with about 1/4 cup good clear previously rendered bacon grease (rendered means all food bits have been removed and grease reduced to a clear liquid then cooled before being added to the storage tin. Never allow the grease to smoke while rendering; heat slowly.)
2. Wash and peel potatoes. Rinse and place in container of water, enough to cover all spuds.
3. In large mixing bowl beat the eggs to a creamy texture. Add minced onions, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper and whisk together briskly.
4. Prepare potatoes: we used a ricer but modern technology offers a variety of ways to shred the potatoes to resemble uncooked hash browns - food processor, manually by box shredder (any type), potato peeler (least effective and labor intensive!)
Using a clean absorbent dishtowel or linen, squeeze handfuls of the shredded potatoes over the sink to remove every drop of liquid possible. Wet potatoes will not crisp up. Transfer dried handfuls to a separate bowl, then repeat the process. Only after all the liquid possible has been removed add to the egg and flour mixture
Stir until all shreds of potatoes have been coated.
5. Turn up heat on griddle or skillet. When a drop of water "skittles" (sizzles and skitters across the surface) the pan is ready to fry your pancakes.
6. Don't crowd the pancakes. Turn after gently raising the patty to check browning on the bottom. When to your liking, flip.
Repeat this process until all pancakes have been fried. Add grease as needed and make sure to bring pan heat back to optimal for a fast crisp browning. Keep first batches warm on an oven-proof pan in your oven.
7. Serve still warm with a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle of bacon crumbles, some pretty green parsley or chives (can use some thin-sliced green onion tops if you choose.)
Delicious with eggs over medium or sunny side up, breakfast meat(s), and nice warm crusty bread. Might add biscuits and sausage gravy.
Offer sides of baked apples, apple butter, jams or jellies, more sour cream, fresh slices of melon or oranges. Crisp sticks of celery, bell pepper, maybe carrots and a side of sweet thick tomato slices. Enjoy!
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