Anyone got a good one? Thanks.

ROESTI

This is from Cook's Illustrated and we make it often. It's delicious, with a nice crunchy exterior.

The test kitchen prefers a roesti prepared with potatoes that have been cut through the large shredding disk of a food processor. It is possible to use a box grater to cut the potatoes, but they should be cut lengthwise, so you are left with long shreds. It is imperative to squeeze the potatoes as dry as possible. A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet can be used in place of the nonstick skillet. By adding fried eggs, ham, bacon, cheese, cooked onions, and/or tomatoes, (see specific suggestions below) roesti can be turned into a light meal.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (3 to 4 medium), peeled and shredded (see note above)
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• Ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter


See Illustrations Below: Potato Roesti

1. Place potatoes in large bowl and fill with cold water. Using hands, swirl to remove excess starch, then drain in strainer.

2. Wipe bowl dry. Place half of potatoes in center of kitchen towel. Gather ends together and twist as tightly as possible to expel maximum moisture. Transfer potatoes to bowl and repeat process with remaining potatoes.

3. Sprinkle salt, cornstarch, and pepper to taste over potatoes. Using hands or fork, toss ingredients together until well blended.

4. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add potato mixture and spread into even layer. Cover and cook 6 minutes. Remove cover and, using spatula, gently press potatoes down to form round cake. Cook, occasionally pressing on potatoes to shape into uniform round cake, until bottom is deep golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes longer.

5. Shake skillet to loosen roesti and slide onto large plate. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet and swirl to coat pan. Invert roesti onto second plate and slide it, browned side up, back into skillet. Cook, occasionally pressing down on cake, until bottom is well browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow cake to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer roesti to cutting board, cut into 4 pieces, and serve immediately.

Thanks Elsie!

I've never thought of rösti as 'potato pancakes'. If you do, rösti are a nice thing to make.

To me, potato pancakes are latkes, containing egg and onion. Here's the one I make:

Latkes


1.5 lbs baking potatoes

1 tsp salt

.5 tsp freshly ground white pepper

1/3 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp matzo meal

2 large eggs

1/4 cup onion, grated

schmaltz, oil, butter or mixture



Finely grate potatoes. Line a large bowl with a kitchen towel and dump potatoes in center. Foldold potatoes in towel then squeeze and twist to remove as much liquid into the bowl as possible. Set potatoes aside and let starch settle from potato liquid for 10 minutes.

In the meantime combine salt, pepper, baking powder and matzo meal in a second bowl, add eggs and beat to combine.

Carefully drain potato liquid but retain potato starch that settled to the bottom. Add this starch to the eggs alon g with the grated onion and potatoes and mix well.

Heat a large, heavy fry pan over medium heat for a couple minutes and add a small amount of fat (schmaltz, oil, butter or mixture) to coat bottom. With a large spoon, drop several small lemon-size blobs of batter into the pan and flatten with spatula. Brown on one side, then flip over to brown the second side. Continue with rest of latke dough. Keep them ready to serve on a plate in a warm oven. Latkes will not keep very long and lose a lot on reheating.

Wow,

This one brings the memories flooding back in:

My great-grandmother was the "baby" of her family, and was the only one born in the US. (The rest of her family was from Germany, in the 1880's) I suspect that they were from the border country with Poland - because a lot of her "family" recipes had a Polish-influenced feel to them.

One of our favorites that she made was potato pancakes. Nobody remembers her exact recipe (she did it from memory, and both she and our grandmother are no longer with us) - but I know that the spuds in them were shredded, not blended to mush. Although I think that she used an egg or two and omitted the onion.

They were wonderfully simple, with crispy, ragged edges from the hand-shredded potatos. She fried them in a heavy skillet with a little oil. They were great with a little home-made applesauce and washed-down with some cheap, sweet red wine.

I'm not sure which of the above is closest, but now I need to try both and experiment.

Kevin,
What is a great replacement for the matzo meal? I don't think I have seen it at the store.
Ron,
Your family may have come from East Prussia which was part of Germany in the 1880s. East Prussia was in part of Poland. It would explain the Polish influence.
Lance

My father's parents were from Frankfurt an der Oder, on the border of Poland.

You should be able to get matzo meal at any Safeway, Winco or Alberstons's. It's usually with the 'Jewish' foods, not near the flour. Ask a stocker. Barring that, dried bread crumbs would sub.

Better late then nver. This is the recipe I've been using for years. Forgive the change of name, but this is the Jewish version.

Latkes

Makes about 24-30
4 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled
1 large Spanish onion, chopped fine
2 TB garlic, minced (optional)
6 large eggs
1 cup box matzo meal
1 teaspoons salt pepper to taste

Use grating blade of food processor, but first cut potatoes into relatively small piece to avoid stinginess.. Do not over process - the potatoes must have texture. Grate onions and mix into potatoes in large mixing bowl. Add garlic if desired. Stir in eggs, enough matzo meal to thicken, salt, and baking powder. Mixture should not be too liquid. Mix well.

In large skillet, heat I inch vegetable oil. Drop in batter one tablespoonful at a time making latkes as large (or small) as desired.

Use fork and spoon to turn latkes as they fry. Remove from skillet when golden brown and crisp. Drain on cookie sheet lined with paper towels. Try to stand the latkes in rows on their ends; the oil will drain off more efficiently.

Keep warm in low oven (250 degrees) until serving.