Crispy potato pancakes with bacon surprise and fresh salad
It's often difficult to persuade potato pancake enthusiasts to add toppings. How can one wait for the sauce or salad when these pancakes taste best straight from the frying pan? Ingenious solutions come to the rescue - this time in the form of a very simple salad and a bacon sprinkle that is worth waiting for just a moment.
To make crispy potato pancakes, it's important to pay attention to a few details. The most crucial is choosing the right potatoes. Disregard new potatoes immediately – although they are in season, they won't work in the pancake mixture because they contain too much water. Opt for 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 a debate at the table. Some prefer pancakes with coarsely grated potatoes, while others don't appreciate the visible texture. I know people who grate potatoes to a pulp to make the pancake mixture more uniform. However, if crispiness is your goal, there is definitely a greater chance of success with coarsely grated potatoes.
Additionally, splashing the potatoes with a little lemon juice not only keeps the pancake mixture nice and bright but also contributes to a greater crispiness. 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 from olive oil and lemon juice. If you want a more pronounced flavour, a yoghurt dressing with fresh herbs will work brilliantly as well.
Ingredients:
- 1 kilogram of potatoes,
- 1 egg,
- 3 tablespoons of plain flour,
- 1 clove of garlic,
- a quarter of a small onion,
- salt and pepper,
- oil for frying,
- 100 grams of smoked bacon,
- 140 grams of a mix of rocket 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 kitchen towel, and grate them with a coarse grater. Immediately splash them with lemon juice to prevent them from darkening.
- Squeeze out the excess water, 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 in 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 rocket 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 the fried bacon.
