Kartoffelpuffers are German potato pancakes made from grated raw potatoes and onion, served with sweet or savory side dishes. They are a traditional Friday night dinner in Catholic areas and a popular street food at German fairs. The pancakes are made with raw grated potatoes, eggs, flour, and salt, and can be seasoned with garlic, herbs, and bacon. They are best cooked in hot oil to achieve a crispy exterior and creamy interior. Common accompaniments include applesauce, fruit compotes, sour cream, and sauerkraut.
Kartoffelpuffers are German potato pancakes made from grated raw potatoes and onion mixed with some other ingredients. They are also called latkes, reibekuchen and karoffelphannkuchen. Kartoffelpuffers are street food at German fairs and are also served in homes and restaurants. In Catholic areas of Germany they were a traditional Friday night dinner. The pancakes can be served with sweet or savory side dishes, but the most common accompaniment is applesauce.
There are slight variations in the recipes, but all kartoffelpuffers are made from raw grated potatoes rather than pre-cooked potatoes and all contain onion. The onion is usually grated, but it can be finely chopped and some recipes even use dried onion flakes. Other basic ingredients are eggs, flour and salt.
Raw potatoes darken quickly when exposed to air, so you need to process the potatoes quickly and mix the batter. Browning can be delayed by placing the grated potato in cold water, and some recipes still call for it as a way to wash some of the starch out of the potatoes. Other recipes specifically call for starchy or floury potatoes. Whether the starch is washed off or carefully stored, the pancakes will cook better if all the excess moisture is removed from the potatoes, and many recipes call for squeezing the grated bits in a towel to dry them.
The distinctive crunchy exterior and creamy interior of the kartoffelpuffer is easiest to achieve with proper oil in the pan. If the oil is hot enough, the cakes will be crispy and brown, but not oily. To ensure that the pancakes cook through they must be relatively thin and of uniform thickness. The texture of the pancakes will be better if they are not pressed and if they are turned only once. Although they are sometimes cooked in butter, a neutral-flavored oil is the most common choice.
Traditional kartoffelpuffers are made only with potatoes, onion, flour, eggs and salt. Many cooks, however, add other seasonings, especially garlic and herbs such as parsley, shallots, chives and thyme. Crumbled bacon is a popular addition.
Common sweet accompaniments for pancakes, besides applesauce, are other fruit compotes, sweetened whipped cream, and even cinnamon sugar. Sour cream and creme fraiche are other popular additions. Savory side dishes often served include bacon, sausage, pork liver, smoked salmon, and sauerkraut. In some parts of Germany pancakes are served on brown bread.
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