dear fellow crumbsnatchers,
the pandemic may have cancelled oktoberfest, but that's not a reason why we can't bring munich, germany to our dinner table. almost a decade ago now, i visited grandma gail and pop-pop at their winter residence in florida. they would occasionally attend or host dinner parties with their friends, and this time, bob and sue from wisconsin were hosting. sue was in charge of dinner and bob was in charge of dessert. we were in charge of the adult beverages. sue took us on a trip to germany and served us kartoffelpuffer with pork schnitzel, rotkohl (german red cabbage) and applesauce. bob, much like my pa-po, absolutely loved ice-cream. we finished the night with ice-cream sundaes with all the toppings, just as i would expect from true wisconsinites.
i loved spending time with grandma gail and pop-pop and meeting their friends. so what better way to reminisce about good times and celebrate national pancake day and oktoberfest in recreating sue's german dinner and sharing it with robbie.
kartoffelpuffer (german potato pancakes) recipe
crumb confession: in a pinch, sometimes i use thawed, frozen shredded potatoes or hash browns. depending on the region of germany, kartoffelpuffer are also known as reibekuchen, reibeplätzchen, reiberdatschi and gumbeerpannekuche. the key is finely shredded potatoes. using frozen shredded potatoes makes these potato pancakes more like swiss rösti or jewish latkes but just as delicious. whether a side dish or main dish, a snack or dessert, these are an easy potato treat that screams comfort food.
cuisine: german
prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes
serves: 4
ingredients
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and grated finely
1 small yellow onion, grated finely
2 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, optional
vegetable, corn or canola oil
directions
place grated potatoes in cheesecloth or colander and squeeze out liquid. place on paper towels.
heat electric griddle to 375F. you can also use a stove top griddle pan at medium high heat.
in a large bowl, combine grated potatoes, onion, eggs, flour, salt and pepper with your hands. mixture should be tacky. add more flour, if needed.
place 1/3 cup of mixture on griddle and press down flat. add a drop of oil and fry until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. serve immediately. Â
serve hot kartoffelpuffer with applesauce, confectioner's sugar, fruit compote, creme fraische or even gravy for a sweet or savory treat. so dust off your lederhosen and fill your steins with your favorite german beer and oans, zwoa, drei, g’suffa!
love and crumbs,
christina & gypsie
p.s. did you make this recipe? be sure to drop us a crumb on instagram at @crumbsforgypsie and hashtag it #crumbsforgypsie.