I remember Great Aunt Gertie visiting her sister, my grandma, a number of times. In her later years, when Gertie was in town, she would stay up late copying down recipes that she may or may not ever get around to cooking. (Then she'd sleep in longer than Grandma thought was necessary or right. "She's got her days and nights mixed up," Grandma would say. It was a complaint that likely spanned several decades, judging from the exasperated way Grandma said it.)
Of course, Gertie also had lots of recipes memorized. The following recipe for potato pancakes appears to have been one of those recipes dictated from memory, as it lacks the specificity of the typical published recipe. Grandma copied it down when she was visiting her daughter in Arizona, so apparently the recipe had made the rounds in the family. Grandma wrote it down even though I imagine it was a lot like Grandma's own version of potato pancakes - except maybe lacking onion.
Here's how I made potato pancakes based on this recipe, applying tips I've read elsewhere about making potato pancakes:
Grate 4 medium russet potatoes. Sprinkle with about 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Allow to stand for a few minutes and then squeeze excess liquid from the grated potatoes one handful at a time. Stir in about 1 tablespoon of flour, or enough to absorb any remaining potato juice. Heat about 3 tablespoons of canola oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Drop grated potatoes by the spoonful into the hot pan. Cook for several minutes, till golden brown on the bottom. Turn the pancakes and cook until nicely browned on the second side as well. Remove from the pan and continue with the next batch.
Serve potato pancakes hot. We didn't think butter or syrup was necessary. After making one batch plain like this, I mixed in some chopped chives for the rest of the potato pancakes. It was a welcome addition.
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