The Hanukkah standard with year-round clearance: shredded potatoes wrung dry, bound lightly, and fried in sunflower oil to lace-edged gold. Applesauce vs. sour cream is a schism; serve both.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
4
Before you start
Mise en place
Equipment
Nonstick skillet
Mixing bowl
Spatula
Prep checklist
Russet Potatoes — coarsely grated
Onion — grated
Flour — or matzo meal
Sour Cream — to serve
Apple — quick applesauce: grated + simmered 5 min
3 steps
Method
1
Wring the grated potato and onion in a towel until it stops raining — dryness is crispness. Let the liquid settle 2 minutes and pour it off, keeping the white starch paste at the bottom; stir that back in.
5 min — timer available in cooking mode
Why this works
That reclaimed potato starch is free binding — the old-country trick that lets you use less flour.
2
Mix with eggs, flour, and salt. Fry loose 8 cm rounds in 1 cm of sunflower oil over medium-high, 3–4 minutes a side, pressing lightly — lacy edges are the goal.
8 min — timer available in cooking mode
3
Drain on a rack, salt immediately, serve hot with both factions' condiments.
From the pass
Chef's notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Best fresh; components keep 2 days refrigerated.
Freezing
Most breakfast bakes freeze well for 2 months; assembled plates don't.
Reheating
A low oven (150°C, 8–10 minutes) revives baked things; a nonstick pan over medium-low beats the microwave for anything with a crisp edge.
Make ahead
Prep components the night before — batters rest happily overnight in the fridge, and toppings can be portioned into jars.
Wine pairing
Coffee or fresh juice — it's breakfast.
Beer pairing
It's breakfast — coffee. But a mimosa never hurt a weekend.