Placki ziemniaczane
Polish cuisine is full of potatoes dishes. It is a cheap vegetable and can be easily stored during winter. In old times it was a poor food, easy to grow, easy to cook and easy to fill the stomach.The old Polish cook book gives a simple recipe for potato pancakes. They are a bit like American hash browns. Try Polish Potato Pancakes and decide which one of them you prefer:)
If you are too lazy to stand in kitchen at the frying pan for several minutes, you may like potato pie, traditional regional meal in Podlasie- a region in north – eastern Poland. Check here for recipe: Polish Potato Pie.
Ingredients
- 1 kg/2,2 lb potatoes (russet potatoes will be good)
- large onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbs all purpose flour (optional)
- 1 egg
- 4 tbs of hot milk (as was called for in my old Polish cookbook, but I would say it is optional)
- salt, pepper
- basil, marjoram, nutmeg
Peel the potatoes. Grate them fine and place in a bowl. If there is potato juice inside, drain it with a spoon. Chop onion and separately garlic. Saute an onion in butter for 4 minutes, add garlic. Combine with potatoes’ mash. Add an egg, some flour, mix all well. Season with salt and pepper, add your favorite herbs. I add basil, marjoram and nutmeg.
Fry in hot oil for about 3 minutes on each side, depending on the pancake thickness.
To get rid of the excess oil, drain pancakes on a paper towel.
The best Polish Potato Pancakes for me are served with sour cream or with goulash- then you would be eating ‘Gypsy’ potato pancake – Placek po cygańsku.
Enjoy! Smacznego:)