COOKING: German Potato Pancakes

I don't know about you, but sometimes I get a craving for something that my mum made for us during our childhood or the "still at home" years. My late mother was from the border of Slovenia and Austria and my dad is German. They both migrated to Australia after WWII. We lost mum to cancer in 2006. Mum was a great cook, and I had all my basic training from her. She always used to tell me to "take in" how she cooked things - because she said I will probably want to cook them after she was no longer on this earth. How right she was (!).

In the last month or so I had been having a craving for her "German potato pancakes". Funny, in the past, I've tried to make their magic up out of thin air - guessing at the ingredients - and had dismal failures to prove how right Mum was in wanting me to watch, look and learn.

In desperation I got onto google and did some internet searching.......Ding Ding.......we have a winner!!! SO HAPPY that the net saved me - fantastic invention!!!

Here you go - this you will enjoy - totally brought back all good Sunday night memories:

Peel 1 kg of floury potatoes and 1 brown onion. Grate using the small grater holes into a bowl. Using a clean tea towel or muslin, line a sieve and then drop the potato and onion into the towel. Twist and squeeze water out. I managed to get two cups (500ml) of water out of my vegetables. The more water you can extract - the less oil the pancakes will take up from your frypan - and the crisper they will be. (*yay*)

Add 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Mix well into the potato and onion.

Add 5 tablespoons of plain flour and mix till combined.

Heat about 1/4 cup of neutral oil (like sunflower, vegetable or rice bran) into a non stick fry pan. On a medium heat drop small amounts into the pan and flatten with a spoon. The flatter you manage to get them - the crisper they will be. NB: the baby pancake is my "I can't wait to taste this recipe tester bit"

Flip over when nice and golden - doesn't take long keep watch. Drain and dab with paper towels. You can keep them in a warm oven until you have fried them all if you like.

I know my husbands taste - so his got topped with smoked salmon, sour cream and fresh garlic chives.

He loved them (so did Rubie our mini schnauzer)!

Again - back to the childhood - mine were simply sprinkled with white sugar. I know it sounds bizarre - but it's really really good.

This recipe made 14 small pancakes and fed two greedy adults. A few little pieces were scored by the schnauzer.

I give these a most appreciative 10/10.