Big Potato Pancake

Big potato pancake
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Recipe courtesy of Tenderheart by Hetty Lui McKinnon, Macmillan Publishers, RRP $69.99

While I did not grow up celebrating Christmas in the traditional, cultural or religious sense, my dad loved Christmas and he made sure that we were able to experience at least some of what this holiday means in the West. He bought us synthetic Christmas trees, baubles and tinsel, sent out Christmas cards to family and friends and, as he became more familiar with conventions, he ensured that Santa visited me. Since then, I’ve been a ‘Christmas tragic’. During the years that my husband and I lived in London, we often visited the Christmas markets that take over European cities during December. This potato pancake is inspired by our family visit to Nuremberg’s famed Christkindlesmarkt, which takes place during Advent. While there, the rest of my family enjoyed Nuremberg bratwurst and all varieties of German sausages, while I devoured fried potato cakes with apple sauce – for three days straight (the vegetarian offerings were slim).

Use a starchy potato for maximum crunch, though waxy potatoes work too. The key to a pancake that is crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and not laden with oil is to get the pan and fat very hot before you add the potato.

Big potato pancakeSERVES 4

Ingredients

  • 1 kg potatoes, preferably sebago or russet, peeled
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 80 g ghee (or 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus 2 tablespoons butter)

Quick-pickled apple salad

  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1 apple, such as fuji
  • 1 celery stalk, finely sliced
  • 3–4 handfuls of baby rocket or salad leaves
  • handful of chopped chives
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 50 g (1⁄4 cup) sour cream (optional)
  • 1⁄4 cup toasted flaked almonds

Veganise: use olive oil, vegan butter and omit the sour cream

Vegetable swap: potato – taro

Method

  1. Grate the potatoes using the largest holes on a box grater – I like to hold my potato lengthways so I can grate it into long strands. Grab handfuls of the potato and squeeze it tightly using both hands, to draw out as much liquid as possible. Place the potato in a bowl, add the sea salt and toss to combine.
  2. Heat a non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron frying pan (mine is 22 cm) over high heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons of the ghee (or 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter) and allow to melt and heat up. Add the potato and, using a spatula, tidy up the potato around the edges by tucking them in (this makes the final pancake neater). Reduce the heat to medium–low and cook for 10–12 minutes, until the potato is golden brown and crispy on the bottom.
  3. Now we are ready for the flip. If you are worried about your potato sticking, carefully run a rubber spatula underneath just to make sure it’s not stuck. You can flip the potato onto a plate or small wooden board (something with a handle helps a lot) – whatever you use, make sure it’s not heavy. Place the plate or board over the frying pan and quickly and confidently flip the frying pan over so that the crispy potato bottom is facing up on the plate or board. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee (or 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter) to the pan and let it melt. Gently slide the pancake back into the pan and cook for another 10–12 minutes over medium–low heat, until crispy and golden.
  4. Meanwhile, make the quick-pickled apple salad. In a large bowl, add the garlic, vinegar, 1⁄2 teaspoon of sea salt and the sugar and stir to combine. Cut the apple into quarters and remove the core. Slice each quarter into 7–8 mm pieces. Place in the vinegar mix and toss to combine. Leave to sit for 5–10 minutes, while you wait for the pancake to finish cooking. When ready to serve, add the celery, rocket or salad leaves, chives, olive oil, sour cream (if using) and almonds to the quick-pickled apple, and season well with sea salt and black pepper. Toss well.
  5. Slide the potato pancake onto a serving board or plate, cut into wedges, and serve alongside the apple salad.

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