Classic Potato Pancakes

This recipe for potato pancakes falls into that wondrous category of dishes you can whip up at any time of day, any day of the year, and for virtually any occasion. More like hash browns than the style of pancake made using leftover mashed potatoes, the primary ingredient here is uncooked shredded potato that’s combined with onion, egg, and flour. The potato mixture is then formed into patties and fried until each round is crisp and golden brown.

This potato pancake recipe has quite a lot in common with one for classic potato latkes, but where latkes typically use matzo meal in place of flour and get pan-fried in oil or schmaltz, these are cooked in a mixture of oil and butter, which adds a rich dairy note to the dish. Make sure to squeeze the grated spuds to extract as much liquid as possible, but don’t rinse them. The potato starch that clings to the surface of the unrinsed potatoes helps the pancake mixture hold together.

Serve this comfort food favorite in the traditional Eastern European fashion with sour cream and applesauce, or experiment with other toppings or mix-ins to change things up: Add chopped chives for color or a dash of garlic powder for bolder flavor. Form them into scallion-potato pancake sandwiches with lox, or swap out the English muffins in a Classic Eggs Benedict for these crispy fried disks.