Here’s a traditional and crispy Polish Potato Pancakes (Placki Ziemniaczane) recipe — golden brown on the outside, tender on the inside. These are classic comfort food in Poland, often served with sour cream, sugar, or goulash.
🥔 Polish Potato Pancakes (Placki Ziemniaczane)
✅ Ingredients:
2 pounds (about 900g) starchy potatoes (e.g., Russet or Yukon Gold)
1 small onion
2 eggs
3–4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
½ tsp black pepper (optional)
Oil for frying (sunflower or canola oil are traditional)
Optional toppings:
Sour cream
Applesauce
Sugar
Mushroom sauce or goulash
🔪 Instructions:
1. Grate Potatoes and Onion
Peel potatoes and grate them on the fine or medium holes of a box grater (or use a food processor).
Grate the onion as well and mix with the potatoes to help prevent browning.
2. Drain Excess Liquid
Place the grated mixture in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible into a bowl.
Let the liquid sit for a few minutes; then pour off the water and keep the starchy white sediment at the bottom — add it back into the potato mixture for crispier pancakes.
3. Mix Batter
Combine the potatoes/onion with:
2 beaten eggs
3–4 tablespoons of flour (start with 3)
Salt and pepper to taste
The batter should be thick but spoonable.
4. Fry
Heat about ¼ inch (0.5 cm) of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Drop heaping tablespoons of batter into the hot oil. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon.
Fry until golden brown and crispy — 3–4 minutes per side.
Drain on paper towels.
5. Serve Immediately
Best served hot, straight from the pan.
Traditional Polish style: with sour cream or a sprinkle of sugar. Also great with savory sauces or stews.
🔁 Tips:
Don’t skip the draining step — it’s key for crispiness.
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