Patatnik is a potato cake from Bulgaria made with grated potatoes, onions, mint, oil, salt, and pepper. Some recipes include flour, eggs, or Bulgarian white cheese. The mixture is cooked in a pan and can be layered between pastry sheets. Patatnik originates from the Rhodopes mountain range and is popular in southern Bulgaria.
Patatnik, also known as patenik, is a potato cake from the southeastern European republic of Bulgaria. The dish requires relatively few ingredients. In addition to the potatoes, which are grated, the dish also contains onions, mint and oil, with salt and pepper added for taste. Some people also add flour, eggs, or a type of Bulgarian white cheese called sirene for a richer dish.
First, the potatoes for patatnik are peeled and grated, then salted and set aside for about 15 minutes. The salt encourages water to flow out of the potatoes, after which they are strained. The onions are then grated over the potatoes and the dressing is added. This is the stage where some cooks prefer to add eggs or grated cheese to the mixture as well.
The oil is placed in a pan and heated. Then the mixture is poured into the pan to a thickness of up to about 0.8 inches (2 centimeters) and the pan is covered with a lid. When the underside is golden brown, the cake is flipped over and the other side becomes golden brown as well.
In some versions of the patatnik recipe, two pastry sheets are made with flour and a little water and oil. One sheet goes to the bottom of the pan, the grated potato mixture is poured over it, and the second sheet covers it. This cooking method resembles that of a potato banitsa, a traditionally baked Bulgarian dish that involves a mixture of egg and cheese poured between layers of dough.
Patatnik has its origin in the Rhodopes, a mountain range in southeastern Europe that mainly covers Bulgaria. More than 80 percent of its area covers the south-central region of the country, with the rest in Greece, which borders Bulgaria to the south. Patatnik is characteristic of Rhodope cuisine. The dish is mainly enjoyed in other places in southern Bulgaria, such as the ski resorts of Smolyan and Bansko, the latter located in the Pirin mountain range; and Zlatograd, which is in the same province as Smolyan. Patatnik’s popularity extends as far as Chernichevo, which is located on the southeastern side of the Rhodope Mountains.
The word patatnik comes from the dialects of Rup, which are spoken in the southeastern part of Bulgaria. It is created from the word potato, written as patato or pateto, with the Slavic masculine suffix -nik attached to it. In some areas of Smolyan province such as Nedelino, the cake is called kashnitsa instead of patatnik.
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