Great breakfast dish, great appetizer, great snack, great any-time treat. Again, a lot of cultures have their own version of this traditional staple. Lithuanian bulviniai blynai, German kartoffelpuffer, Jewish latkes. This recipe yields a crisp flavorful "pancake" that holds together well and reheats well. My favorite way is to serve them with apple sauce and creme fraiche (very traditional...for a reason) but they are of course good with a poached egg on top, and/or homemade hot sauce or katsup (recipes in a later post). I've found that the best way to cook them is to shallow fry them in lard or bacon grease. If you dont have either, use extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil.
Let me pause here and talk about the importance and relevance of fats and oils in cooking. The beauty of having different fats and oils on hand is that you can use the appropriate one (or more) to lend a helping hand to the dish you are creating via flavor and lubrication. In addition, a variety of quality fats and oils in your diet is vital for nutrient uptake, protecting and enriching your organs, keeping your cholesterol in check, and providing you with omega 3s and omega 6s as well as other nutrients. Obviously the fats in quality meats, eggs, and other proteins are valuable, but, they dont offer the full spectrum of nutrients that you can get from many other fats and oils (such as nut, seed, and fish oils)
In regard to cooking, saturated fats (clarified butter, beef fat, chicken fat, bacon fat, lard, coconut oil) are going to have a higher smoking point than unsaturated so you would want to use them for higher heat (you never want to heat oil until smoking at which point it becomes denatured and carcinogenic). Some unsaturated fats you can use to medium heat such as extra virgin olive oil, unrefined sesame oil, unrefined peanut oil, unrefined palm kernel oil. Many polyunsaturated fats are delicate and cannot withstand any heat such as walnut oil, flax seed oil, avocado oil, cod liver oil. Use them for salad dressings or for finishing oils. Dont be afraid of the fat! Yes, use in moderation but as long as you are using fat from a healthy free range animal or other unrefined organic source, AND you get a variety of saturated, and mono and polyunsaturated fats, then it will greatly enhance you life and your health. I encourage you to read more about fats and oils in "The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia" by Rebecca Wood, and "Fat - an appreciation of a misunderstood ingredient" by Jennifer Mclagan.
ON TO THE RECIPE!!
2.5 lbs of raw potatoes (preferably kenebecs, or russets)
3 T creme fraiche (recipe follows)
3 T spelt flour
2 eggs
starch from potatoes
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
few grated of fresh nutmeg
Shred the potatoes on a box grater or food processor with a shredder attachment. Place the shredded potatoes in cheese cloth and squeeze out as much moisture as humanly possible into a bowl. Let the liquid sit for about 5 minutes, then pour off all the liquid and you should have a layer of white starch left in the bowl.. In another small bowl combine the eggs, creme fraiche, flour and potato starch and whisk together to form a batter. Pour over the shredded potatoes mix until thoroughly coated. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a generous amount of lard or bacon fat in a large skillet over high heat (the fat should be about 1/4-1/2 in deep). Form patties with the mixture about the size of the palm of your hand and 1/4 - 1/3 of an inch thick. Once the fat ripples when you tilt the pan place the patties in the oil and fry until golden brown and crispy on both sides. You may need to add a bit more fat between batches. remove to a paper towel or a wrack on a sheet tray to dry and cool.
Homemade Creme Fraiche Recipe
2 cups heavy cream (preferably raw and organic)
2 T of cultured buttermilk (preferably raw and organic)
Combine in a sauce pan and heat ever so slightly over low heat to get it to about 80F. Careful not to heat too much and kill the bacteria cultures. Pour into a jar and cover it with cheese cloth and a rubber band. Leave it out on the counter at room temp for 24-48 hrs or until it thickens and sours to your liking.
Homemade Apple Sauce Recipe
3 lbs of apples (preferably organic and of multiple varieties)
3 cloves
5 allspice berries
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup cider
1/2 cup dry white wine
Slice the apples, make a sachet of the spices (wrap in cheese cloth and tie), and combine all ingredients in a sauce pot. Boil over medium heat for 30 min until the apples are tender. Remove the sachet and pass the remaining apple mixture through a food mill. Return to the pot with the sachet and simmer to reduce to your desired thickness. If you are canning, sterilze the jars and pour the apple sauce in while very hot. Place the lid on top and tighten the ring slightly. Once the lid seals, tighten the rest of the way.
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