Crispy potato pancakes get a gourmet twist with bacon salad
It's often difficult to persuade potato pancake enthusiasts to add toppings. How can one wait for sauce or salad when these pancakes taste best straight from the frying pan? Clever solutions come to the rescue—this time in the form of a very simple salad and a bacon sprinkle that is worth waiting for a moment.
To make crispy potato pancakes, it's worth paying attention to a few details. The most important is choosing the right potatoes. Disregard new potatoes immediately—although they are in season, they won't work in the pancake batter because they contain too much water. Choose B or C type potatoes with moderate or higher starch content.
How to grate potatoes for potato pancakes?
This is one of those topics that can spark debate at the table. Some prefer pancakes with potatoes grated on coarse holes, while others don't like the visible texture. I know people who grate potatoes to a pulp to make the pancake batter more uniform. However, if crispiness is your goal, there is definitely a greater chance of success with coarse holes on the grater.
Additionally, splashing the potatoes with a little bit of lemon juice not only keeps the pancake batter nice and bright, but the acidity will also enhance the crispiness of the pancakes. If you don't have lemon, you can use a small amount of vinegar.
Potato pancakes on a green salad
For the salad, I suggest adding a light dressing made of olive oil and lemon juice. If you want a more pronounced flavor, a yogurt dressing with fresh herbs will work great as well.
Ingredients:
- 1 kilogram of potatoes,
- 1 egg,
- 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour,
- 1 clove of garlic,
- quarter of a small onion,
- salt and pepper,
- oil for frying,
- 100 grams of smoked bacon,
- 140 grams of a mix of arugula and lamb's lettuce,
- a handful of sunflower seeds,
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil,
- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.
Instructions:
- Peel and wash the potatoes, pat them dry with a paper towel, and grate them with a coarse grater. Immediately splash them with lemon juice to prevent them from darkening.
- Squeeze out the excess water, then add the egg, flour, garlic pressed through a garlic press, and onion grated with a fine grater. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and mix thoroughly with a spoon.
- Cover the entire surface of the pan with oil, and when it's very hot, place the pancakes with a spoon and fry until golden brown—first on one side and then on the other.
- In a separate pan, fry the smoked bacon, which has been diced small.
- On a plate, place the arugula and lamb's lettuce, mix with sunflower seeds, and drizzle with a light dressing of olive oil and lemon juice.
- Place the potato pancakes on the salad and sprinkle with fried bacon.
