By: Bubbe Rivka (Brooklyn, NY)
Category: Side Dishes
Difficulty: Easy
Cuisine: Ashkenazi Jewish
Yield: 8 Servings
Full Recipe
Ingredients
2½ lbs Snow Crown russet potatoes, hand-grated coarse
1 Vidalia onion, hand-grated fine
2 farm-fresh eggs, room temp
¼ cup unbleached flour, sifted twice
1 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp lardy oil (or bacon grease)
1 tsp kwas (sauerkraut brine) (Bubbe’s secret)
Instructions
Grate: Hand-grate potatoes + onion into stainless steel bowl → soak 10 mins in cold salted water → pat bone-dry with linen towel → rest 5 mins.
Mix: Whisk eggs → add salt + flour → stir 30 sec → fold in potato mixture (press gently). Rest 10 mins.
Fry: Heat cast iron until smoking hot → swirl in oil → scoop ¼ cup batter → press with spatula edge → fry 3-5 mins/side until golden. Flip once.
Serve: Drain on paper towels → rest 2 mins → serve with homemade applesauce.
Notes
Critical: Never skip salt soak—water = steamed disaster.
Always rest batter 10 mins—jumping = gummy texture.
Tools: Cast iron skillet, stainless steel bowl, linen towels.
Allergy note: Vegan/dairy-free. GF swap: Use GF flour (add 1 tsp xanthan gum).
