50 minutes
Embrace the spirit of Southern comfort with these Crunchy Texan Potato Pancakes, modeled after the classic Kartoffelpuffer. With a focus on achieving a delicate, fluffy center encased by a satisfyingly crisp exterior, this dish promises to deliver a harmonious blend of textures in every bite.
1. Preheat and Prep
Adjust your oven rack to the middle position, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet in the oven. Prepare a large plate with a triple layer of paper towels for draining.
2. Drain Potatoes
Lay out half of the shredded potatoes on a clean dish towel, gather the ends of the towel, and twist tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Transfer the drained potatoes to a large bowl and repeat with the remaining potatoes.
3. Mix Ingredients
To the bowl of drained potatoes, stir in the flour, eggs, and shredded onion. Season with 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, or to taste.
4. Fry Pancakes
Heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until it reaches 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spoon out 1/3 cup portions of the potato mixture into the skillet, pressing them into 4-inch disks with the back of a spoon.
5. Brown Pancakes
Fry each pancake until it's deep golden brown, which should take about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Use two spatulas to carefully flip the pancakes. Once cooked, transfer them to the paper towel–lined plate to drain for about 15 seconds per side, then move them to the wire rack in the oven to keep warm.
6. Repeat Process
Repeat the frying process with the remaining potato mixture. Stir the mixture before forming each batch of pancakes and add more oil to the skillet as needed to maintain a depth of about 1/4 inch.
7. Season and Serve
Season the pancakes with salt and pepper to taste. Serve them hot and crispy, offering sour cream and applesauce on the side for dipping or topping.
Wring out as much moisture as possible from the grated potatoes using a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth to achieve a crispy texture.
Transfer cooked pancakes to a wire rack over a baking sheet to keep them crisp by allowing air circulation.
Opt for high-starch potatoes like Russets. Rinse grated potatoes to remove excess starch for a crisp exterior and fluffy interior.
Use a heavy-bottomed skillet and preheat it with oil over medium-high heat for a sizzling start to a crispy exterior.
Form pancakes with uniform ¼-inch thickness for even cooking and to prevent burning outside before inside is done.
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