Placki Ziemniaczane – (Potato Latke)

· 1 kg potatoes

· 2 onions

· 2 eggs

· 2 – 3 tbs plain flour or potato flour

· Salt & pepper (if you wish)

· Oil or smalec for frying

Preparation Time

Up to 60 minutes (grating by hand)

Serves

4 people

Background

Potato placki used to be staple food, as they were relatively quick and easy to make, and they are filling. Now they are seen more as a heritage dish, and cooked for special occasions, or at various Polish festivals.

Traditionally they are eaten with sour cream, or sprinkled with sugar. In Krakow, a number of restaurants serve placki with goulash (which probably has a Hungarian basis, but is tasty nevertheless). Another alternative is to serve these with a mushroom sauce (and if you can make the sauce using rydze (pine mushrooms) and maślaki (slippery jacks), then all the better)

Many families still cook these in Lent especially on Fridays when they do not have meat. If so, then you may need to omit the goulash and sour cream options.

Method

Grate the potatoes and onions. Pour off the excess fluid. Add the two eggs, salt and pepper and flour. The mixture needs to remain wet or the placki will be too dry. If necessary, add some of the excess fluid.

Heat the oil on the frying pan and place a spoonful at a time on the pan. Flatten them and fry till they are cooked on one side, before turning over. Personal preferences dictate the thickness and the length of cooking. Our family prefers them to be thin and crispy around the edges.

Storing

Storage is irrelevant, they do not last long enough to be stored. They really need to be eaten when they are fresh and crispy (unless you want to cover them in goulash, in which case they can be thicker, but need to be eaten soon after covering in sauce or they will become soggy.

Smacznego!