Mamka's Potato Pancakes (Bramboráky)
Czech potato pancakes, straight from my babička’s cookbook to your mouth.
Prep Time: 15ish min
Cook Time: 20ish min
Yield: 12 3-4” potato pancakes
Ingredients
4 large russet potatoes
2 eggs
1.5 tsp marjoram
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp milk
4 tbsp flour
3 large cloves of garlic
veg or canola oil for frying
Instructions
Whisk together the eggs and set aside.
Peel and grate the potatoes (easiest with a food processor, but do it with a box grater if you want an extra arm workout). Put the grated potatoes into a kitchen towel and squeeze out all the excess water (also a really good arm workout).
Mince or grate the garlic.
Put the grated, squeezed potatoes into a bowl. Add the marjoram, salt, pepper, and garlic. Mix gently to combine. Add the egg mixture, mix again. Lastly, add the flour and mix one more time.
Heat the oil in a large skillet. You really only need a thin layer of oil, maybe 1/4” deep.
Test if the oil is hot by dropping a bit if potato into it. If it sizzles, it’s ready.
Drop spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil. Use the back of the spoon to press down the potato into a pancake shape. Work in batches so you don’t over crowd the pan.
Cook until golden brown, about 5 min. Flip and cook the other side until it’s brown too. Transfer cooked potato pancakes to a cooling rack lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle hot pancakes with a bit of salt.
At this point, it’s a good idea to taste your first batch and adjust seasons if necessary.
Fry up the remaining potato mixture. You have my utmost respect if you don’t eat them all while you’re frying them.
Serve immediately with sour cream, sauerkraut, apple sauce, and a big Pilsner Urquell.