The best potato pancakes?

What is the best way to make potato pancakes?

I travelled in Poland last year and found them made in various styles. I make them how my dad taught me: finely grated potato and onion, let it drain an hour, add a little potato starch and fry on medium heat, medium thickness, maybe 1/2 centimetre or a little more. If the pan is not hot enough they can fall apart or be grey or gooey. I don't feel I've mastered it yet, so I"m interested to hear any tips.

I saw a recipe with egg. Tried that. It tasted different.

Majoranka! You can't make decent platzki withouht that! :-)

The key to good potato pancakes is using the right potatoes and cooking oil.

The ingredients are pretty basic, grated potato, flour, salt, use onions for taste,

Select a very dense potato (like the type used for frying chips) and most important use a high temperature oil like cotton seed oil (this will ensure a crisp potato cake without burning)
The key to good potato cakes is the potatoes you select and type of oil (never use vegetable/olive oil)
Use the same method to make the best chips

Forgot to mention use a couple of eggs for taste and to bond the ingrediants,

Dunno how they're called in the US but in Europe go for "Bintjes potatoes" they're the best for baking & frying

I use Agria potatos. Basically anything with a yellow flesh is best for frying.

Sometimes, Polish potatoes are excellent for making potato pancakes, However from my experience they are not good for making chips, As somebody mentioned before that "BINJE" potatoes seem to be the best for french fries. As a matter of interest Mcdonald's use that potato here in Oz, The best potato's grow in Tasmania which has a climate which is similar to that of Poland.

Like the Chinese?

I use the old starchy baker type potatoes, russets. These are the cheapest and most common potatoes here in Canada, it turns out, as well.

Yellow potatoes common here are Yukon potatoes. Not good for frying, not starchy at all.

You can also add chunks of fried bacon to your prepared potato pancake mixture and bake it in the oven. Don't make it too thick or it will not get crispy. Cut it in squares and serve with cold milk. Yum mm.

Ya know, this is something that I never could quite aquire a taste for. I've had potato pancakes a few times... I think it is the smell or something. Im pretty sure my family eats them with maple syrup on them... I think that's my turn off. I don't like syrup. :)

That's OK Moon. Frankly, pouring maple syrup on potato pancakes would turn me off too :)

:) I might have to have them virgin the next try.

Try them with sour cream, apple sauce or fruit compote. These items complement the pancakes well.

I always had them plain at home. But in Poland they came with mushroom sauce, red sauce, you name it. I like them with a big salad now, to balance off the exquisite greasy starchy saltiness.

Bake in the oven? Never heard that before.

Try Chilli con carne - mmmmmmm

My favorite is Hungarian Style Placki po Wegiersku :)

Placki Ziemniaczane is with Sour Cream

Here is what I learned from my Mom:
4 finely grated potatoes
2 eggs
palm full onion flakes
2 tsp. salt
flour as needed
Put four New or White potatoes, cut into chunks, in a food processer. Add eggs, dried onions, salt and process them until they are almost liquid. Remove from processer to a mixing bowl and incorporate flour until the mixture thickens. (there should be NO liquid.....much like oatmeal) Fry in medium hot skillet with peanut oil. Peanut oil has a high smoke point and is easily digestable. Serve with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or spread on jelly or jam. They are good later at room temperature also.

did mine in the oven last week for the first and last time, ......... dry and lacking that fried potato & onion flavour. ...........Sill I tried.

My girlfriend is adding to potato pancakes (placky zimashane?) a zucchini. It's delicious! But I think nothing will beat her mum’s bigos ;)

I've had a version which is made as follows:

- Mealy potatos (peeled, grated and moisture pressed out using cheesecloth or kitchen towels)

- 1-2 eggs (depending on how many potatos taken)

- Nutmeg (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon added to egg mixture, amount depending on number of potatos taken)

- Potato starch (amount depending on moisture of potato and egg mixture)

- Salt to taste

Form patties and fry using Mazola or other vegetable oil (no sunseed oil)

Serve with apple sauce or sour cream and smoked salmon and fresh chives.

Try to add black caviar - you can get this kind of placki ziemniaczane in "Dom Polski" - which is one of the best Polish restaurants in Warsaw.
Another delicious way of "placki ziemniaczane" is "Placek po Cygansku"(gypsy pancake) -standard potato pancakes with goulash on top and sour cream - really nice

I remember this recipe for potato pancakes, the way my Mother made them:

4-5 peeled, finely grated potatoes
1 small onion grated
1 egg
2 tbs flour
pinch of salt
Vegetable oil

Mix grated potatoes & onion and let them drain in a collander to get rid of excess water.
Add a beaten egg and flour. Add salt.

Using a tablespoon, add a little batter into a skillet filled with hot oil, spreading the batter thinly around. You want your pancakes to be thin & crisp, so don't mound too much batter in the skillet. Fry till the edges turn light brown. Turn to a platter.
Keep it hot in the warm oven while you fry the rest.

Hope this is good and it works for you.

Recipe comes from the "the best of polish cuisine in krakow" and is recipes used at the Polakowski self service restaurant on ul.Miodowa

2lbs potatoes
1 medium onion
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp wheat flour
salt
black pepper
1/2 cup oil for frying

1. rinse and peel the potatoes, grate them finely and squeeze gently
2. peel the onion and grate as well
3. add the onion flour and egg yolks to the potatoes season with salt and pepper and stir well
4. form thin pancakes with a spoon in a pan of hot oil and fry on both sides until golden

serve with cream, kefir or sprinkled with sugar