Polish Potato Pancakes (Placki Ziemniaczane)

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the potatoes, onion, eggs, salt, and pepper. Add enough flour to bind the mixture together while leaving it somewhat thin.
2. In a large, heavy skillet set over medium-high heat and add vegetable oil to a depth of 1/4 inch. Heat until hot, but not smoking.
3. Drop tablespoonfuls of potato mixture into the skillet and spread out to form a 3-inch circle that's about 1/4-inch thick.

1. Fry until brown on the bottom (don't turn until the pancake is brown or it will stick), about 3 to 5 minutes. If needed, reduce the heat to medium to prevent burning.
2. Turn the pancake and fry the other side for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Serve with granulated sugar or sour cream and applesauce if desired.

Tips and Tricks

If you don't like the idea of grating potatoes by hand, there are a couple ways to get around it. One is to use your food processor with a grating disk. You can simply send potato chunks down the chute and, while the processor is running, add the onion, eggs, seasonings, and flour as well. Use only a portion of the flour and stir in more if needed.

Frozen hash browns will really save time when you want potato pancakes, though the flavor and texture will be different. Just thaw and drain the hash browns and mix them with the other ingredients, no grater or food processor needed!