Placki Ziemniaczane – Crispy Polish Potato Pancakes

Ingredients:

Preparation mode:

👉 Placki ziemniaczane are Poland’s beloved potato pancakes: golden and lacy-crisp outside, soft inside. Cheap, quick and made from things you already have.

The trick for crispy pancakes is to squeeze out the potato water and fry in hot oil, not too many at once.

How to Make Placki Ziemniaczane

1. Grate. Finely grate the potatoes and onion into a bowl (the onion stops the potatoes turning grey).
2. Squeeze. Tip the mixture into a sieve or clean cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Let the liquid stand for a minute, pour it off and keep the white starch at the bottom – stir it back in.
3. Mix. Add the eggs, flour, salt and pepper and mix well.
4. Fry. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Drop in heaped tablespoons of batter, flatten them and fry for 3–4 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp.
5. Drain and serve. Drain on paper towel and serve hot with sour cream and chives – or the Polish way, with a sprinkle of sugar or with goulash.

👉 More comfort food from around the world: 25 Cozy Comfort Food Recipes

Footnotes:

Keep them crisp: hold finished pancakes on a rack in a 100°C (210°F) oven while you fry the rest.

Freezing: fry, cool and freeze; reheat in a hot oven for 10 minutes.