Makes 10 to 12 pancakes
This is an old fashion recipe, one with its roots in many cultures. The Germany, potato pancakes are almost the law, and in the autumn, farmhouse wives often add apples. I have had them in Ireland and they are a specialty in the apple producing English county of Devon, as they are across the channel in Normandy where they are served with thick sour cream. And, they were a favorite with the cowboys on my great grandfathers cattle ranch in the San Joaquin Valley in frontier California where they were served as an accompaniment to fried smoked pork chops at breakfast. They also go great with sausage and eggs, with roast pork, duck or goose.
- 2 to 3 large potatoes
- 2 apples, peeled and grated
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- A few grindings of nutmeg
- About 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- Salt and fresh, coarse ground black pepper to taste
- Olive oil for frying
Peel and grate the potatoes. Place the grated potatoes on a clean tea towel or piece of absorbent cloth roll up. Pick up the roll and twist the ends in opposite directions to squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Place the drained potatoes in a bowl. Now do the same with the apples and add them to the bowl . Add the remaining ingredients except oil, and stir gently. In a heavy skillet, heat about half an inch of olive oil over medium-high heat. Drop a spoon full of the potato/apple mixture into the skillet to test the heat. Drop the batter by generous tablespoonfuls into the hot oil. With the back of a wooden spoon, flatten them so they are pancake shaped. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the skillet and place on a paper towel or piece of brown paper bag to drain well. Keep warm while you fry the remaining pancakes. Serve hot with sour cream.