Placki Ziemniaczane (Polish Potato Pancakes)

Ingredients

• 900 g floury potatoes
• 1 onion
• 2 eggs
• 40 g plain flour
• vegetable oil, for shallow frying
• 200 g soured cream, to serve
• a small bunch of chives

Method

1. Grate potato and onion together

   Grate both on the coarse side of a box grater, straight into the same bowl. The onion's acid slows the potato browning, which is why they go together rather than being prepared separately.

2. Wring it out, keep the starch

   Squeeze the mixture hard in a cloth over a bowl. Let the liquid settle for a minute, pour off the water and scrape the white starch from the bottom back into the potato. That reclaimed starch is the real binder.

3. Bind minimally

   Mix in the eggs, flour and plenty of salt. Just enough flour to hold — too much and you get stodgy potato scones instead of crisp lacy pancakes.

4. Shallow fry properly

   Heat 5 mm of oil until a shred sizzles instantly, then spoon in thin pancakes and flatten them. Fry 3 to 4 minutes a side until deep gold and crisp at the ragged edges. Not enough oil is the usual mistake — they stick and steam.

   8 min

5. Drain and serve

   Drain on a rack and salt while hot. Serve with soured cream and chives, or with goulash spooned over, which is how they are often eaten in Poland.