(Also known as potato pancakes)
My recipe is potato pancakes. I tried this recipe twice, but the second time was much better than the first. The outcomes that potato pancakes are famous for are the golden brown color (specifically around the edges), the crunchy outside, and the soft inside. I am proud to say I achieved all of them so basically I am a professional now.
The first time I tried this recipe I used russet potatoes, and they were very big. This time I had less grated potato and a much better flour to potato ratio since the recipe only calls for two tablespoons of flour. I also used fresh rosemary from my parents’ garden as well as dried rosemary. Last time I tried this is only had dry rosemary.
I added salt, pepper, and rosemary to the mixture.
This shows how I prepped the potatoes in order to be able to quickly move them into the skillet for frying.
Chemical Reaction (Maillard Browning): The Maillard reaction is occurring. The peptide bonds of amino acids break allowing free amino groups to react with sugars. This causes the beautiful golden brown color on the potatoes.
When bitten into, the pancake has a soft center.
Chemistry! The outside of the pancake dehydrates when heated, firming the strands of potato and keeping the pieces in place. This is why the outside is stiff and crunchy.
More Chemistry! As the temperature in the potato rises, the starch molecules absorb the water from the potato. (if you look back to my potato patties before I fried them the moisture is obvious). This is what gives the center its soft, viscous texture. (see above photo).
REVIEWS
“They were very nice and crisp on the outside and nice and moist on the inside. They had a great potato flavor and the rosemary was just heavenly” – My Mother
(I know it sounds like I bribed her to give me such a good review but I swear it’s genuine)
SUMMARY
This recipe contains the simplest of ingredients and does not take long.
The ingredients are 4 potatoes (I prefer Yukon Gold), two sprigs of (fresh) rosemary, two tablespoons of all-purpose flour, salt, and pepper to taste, and fried in olive oil. (preferably in a cast-iron skillet)
First, I rinsed and peeled the potatoes. Then I grated them in a bowl and added two tablespoons of flour, mixing it together with my hands to break up any flour clumps. I then took the rosemary off the twigs and finely chopped them. I added that to the potato flour mixture and also added some extra dried rosemary, salt, and pepper. After that, I found it easier to separate the potato into sections to know how many pancakes I could make and to make the frier process quicker and easier. For frying, I used approximately 1.5 centimeters of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet and lightly placed the potatoes in three at a time. When first placed the oil will splatter so I kept an oil splash guard at hand. The cooking time for each side varied across the process, but I kept either a spatula or tongs on hand to periodically check the color of the bottom to know when to flip. When they were golden brown on both sides I removed them from the skillet and placed them onto a paper towel covered plate to soak up the oil. Once they cooled slightly (but not too much because they are better hot) I ate them!
I would 100% do this again. It was a lot of fun and maybe next time I’ll try to make them a little more Italian and add oregano or basil.
