Description
Czech version of potato latkes. It’s an old family recipe that’s very easy to make. They’re loaded with garlic, marjoram and caraway seeds.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound (500 g) starchy potatoes such as Yukon Gold or Russet (about 4–5 medium potatoes)
- 1/2 cup (80 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons (15 g) peeled, minced garlic (about 2 garlic cloves)
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- 1 tablespoon (1.5 g) dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) caraway seeds
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1½ cups (355 ml) vegetable oil (canola or sunflower)
- Sour cream or crème fraîche to serve for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Peel and grate the potatoes coarsely into a large bowl.
- Transfer the potatoes to a clean kitchen towel, wrap tightly, and squeeze as much liquid out of them as possible. (Do this over the kitchen sink or a small bowl).
- Place the potatoes in a bowl, add the flour, eggs, garlic, salt, marjoram, caraway seeds and black pepper, and mix until combined. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large 10-inch/25 cm skillet. This takes about 2 minutes; the oil should be 350°F/175°C on a deep-frying thermometer. (TIP if you don’t own a thermometer: Stick a toothpick or a chopstick into the oil—if tiny bubbles appear around it, the oil is ready).
- Using ¼ cup (60 ml) as a measure, scoop up the batter and drop it into the skillet.
- Flatten into ¼-inch-high patties with the back of a spoon or spatula, and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Don’t crowd the skillet—I typically fry 3 pancakes at a time.
- Using spatula or tongs, carefully flip the pancakes, and fry for another 2 minutes.
- Carefully remove and drain on paper towels.
- Continue frying the pancakes in batches, until you use up all the batter.
- Serve immediately. They’re great on their own, but even better with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche on top.
buy me a flat white?