Polish potato pancakes, known as placki ziemniaczane in Poland, are filling, comforting and delicious. They are simple to make, budget-friendly and are perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Everyone has their favourite potato pancakes recipe. Some like them crispy, others soft and fluffy. I love them all!

Personally, I don’t know a person in Poland who doesn’t like potato pancakes. I make them at least twice a month.

Here is my Mom’s classic recipe for crispy, traditional placki ziemniaczane.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs (1 kg) potatoes, peeled and finely grated (russet potatoes are great for this dish)
• 2 medium onion, finely grated
• 2 large eggs
• 1 to 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Peel the potatoes and the onions. Grate them finely by hand on the small holes of a box grater or you can use a food processor with a grating disk. If you don’t have a food processor use your Vitamix, which is as good. Just remember, when using food processor or Vitamix, chop the potatoes into smaller pieces to avoid motor and blades damage. Blend 1 – 2 potatoes at time and empty the container. Repeat until all potatoes and onions are done

The potatoes and onions have to be grated into a fluffy mush so the pancakes are soft and creamy in the center.

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If needed, drain off excess water. To do this, I simply use a tablespoon but if there is a lot of water, use a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and let drain for a few minutes. It’s essential to drain released juice from the potato mixture before adding the rest of ingredients, so the pancakes mixture is not too runny.

Leave the water alone in the bowl for 15 to 20 minutes, and wait until the starch is settled on the bottom. Then discard the liquid from the bowl, leaving the potato starch. Add the starch back to the mass.

Add eggs and all-purpose flour to the mixture to help bind it together. Season lightly with salt and generously with black pepper. Mix everything together thoroughly with the spoon.

The amount of flour depends on how watery are the potatoes. If they were very watery add extra flour to the batter. The mass has to be wet, but there should be no standing water in it.

From my experience, the best potatoes for placki ziemniaczane are Russets or Yukon Gold. They are super starchy which helps bind the ingredients and don’t release too much water. Do not use waxy or young potatoes as they are very watery. After all, potatoes are the main and the most important ingredient so make sure to choose the right ones.

In a large skillet set over medium heat, add vegetable oil or lard to a depth of about 1/4-inch (do not use regular butter). Heat until hot. Use a large tablespoon to add portions of the potato mass on the hot oil, flattening each one to an even thickness and a fairly thin cake. Form small round pancakes – smaller pancakes are easier to flip over. Fry for approx. 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crisp, turn over and repeat the frying. Add 1/2 teaspoon oil as needed. Repeat with the remaining batter.

If they are browning too quickly, reduce the heat of the burner. How long they will fry depends on the pan, the power of the burner and the thickness of the pancakes. The shape and thickness of the pancakes depends on the method of applying the mass and your preference. I like mine thin and crispy because thinner placki ziemniaczane taste better. Plus, if you make them too thick, you can end up with pancakes raw in the middle but burned on the outside.

After removing from the frying pan, put the pancakes on a plate lined with a paper towel so that the paper absorbs excess fat.

Placki ziemniaczane are best served hot, straight from the pan when they are crispy. The problem begins with the choice: sweet or salty? Here is where the Polish nation is divided into two hostile camps. I personally like them without any toppings (just the way you see in the picture above).

Polish potato pancakes can be served with a variety of different toppings, both sweet and savoury. The most popular toppings include:

• sprinkled with sugar (sounds weird but it really works)
• mushroom sauce (see my Mom’s recipe)
• cucumber salad (see Mom’s traditional recipe)
• dolloped with sour cream and fresh parsley
• thick natural yoghurt
• cottage cheese
• Hungarian goulash
• no topping at all (my favourite)

If you happen to make too many pancakes, you can store them in the fridge for up to 48 hours. To reheat placki ziemniaczane, use oven at 375°F (190°C) or lightly-oiled non-stick frying pan and cook until warm and crispy.

SMACZNEGO!