You may have heard of these delicious savory cakes as “latkes” or potato pancakes. My recipe research resulted in quite a few educational reads, and I learned that many countries make these, with varying ingredients and have very fun names!
Austria: Kartoffelpuffer, Reibekuchen, Reiberdatschi, Erdäpfelpuffer and Erdäpfellaibchen
Bulgaria: patatnik
Czech: bramborákor cmunda
Lithuania: bulviniai blynai
Ukraine: Deruny
Germany: See Austrian
Poland: Placki ziemniaczane
Russia: Daniki
Switzerland: Rösti
Ingredients
- Organic avocado oil ~ small dessert bowl size
- 2 lbs potatoes of choice ~ I’m using Yukon gold
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 bunch organic scallions ~ washed, green part cut into small pieces
- 5 cloves garlic ~ peeled, minced
- 2 large organic eggs
- 1/2 cup organic yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup organic unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tbs Montreal steak seasoning
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast flakes
- pinch of organic sugar
Making the Polenta POTATO Mix
- Scrub potatoes with brush. Arrange all potatoes (leave skin on) in a stainless steel pot, cover with water, add a teaspoon of sea salt. Bring water to rolling boil for about 2 minutes. Partially cover lid and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. The potatoes should easily pierce with a knife. Drain potatoes in colander. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Heat a skillet with cooking oil. Sauté onion and garlic until they are a medium brown. Add scallions. Turn off stove and continue to sauté until scallions are cooked. Set aside and allow to cool.
- In large mixing bowl, mash potatoes until desired texture. I prefer to leave small chunks in mine.
- With a spatula, push the mashed potatoes to the side, making a hole in the middle.
- Add eggs, cornmeal, flour, seasonings, and cooked mixture of onions, garlic, and scallions.
- Gently mix all the ingredients with a large spatula, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you mix. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Time to Bake!
- Heat nonstick cookie sheet in over at 400ºF for 5 minutes. Remove tray with baking mitts.
- Using a silicone brush, brush a dollop of high-heat cooking oil in 8 equally-distanced spots, about 1″ size.
- Oil your palms and scoop heaping 1/4 cup of the latke mix. Roll into ball. Set on the cookie sheet. You should have about 16-20 latke balls. Bake for 12 minutes.
- Remove the cookie sheet. Gently press and flatten the latke balls into discs about 1/2″ thick. Round out the edges of the lakes with your latkes for pretty discs.
- Brush some oil on the surfaces of the lakes and bake another 12minutes on 400ºF.
- The baked latkes should be golden brown, slightly crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.
- Allow to cool and serve with pesto or sour cream.
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