Draniki (Kartofel’nye olad’i)
Serves 4
- 2.5 lbs potatoes
- 1 heaping tablespoon flour
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Refined sunflower or vegetable oil for frying
- 4 tablespoons sour cream
Peel the potatoes.
Place a colander into a large bowl. Grate the potatoes straight into the colander.
This is a great trick – the starchy liquid produced by the potatoes will drain into the bowl during the cooking process, so you won’t have to strain the potatoes or add the flour to thicken the mixture. Besides, getting rid of the extra starch will keep the potatoes from darkening.
Make a slight indentation in the potatoes inside the colander.
Break the egg into the indentation, top with the flour and salt.
Quickly and thoroughly mix all the ingredients.
Place a frying pan over medium heat.
Add the oil to cover the bottom by about 1/5 of an inch. Let the oil heat up (about 1-2 minutes).
Use a large spoon to scoop the potato mixture, transfer it onto the pan and smooth each mound into oval flat cakes.
Cook on one side until the top of the pancake changes color.
Then carefully turn over and cook the other side.
Transfer the cooked pancakes from the pan with a wide spatula.
Serve 2-3 per person topped with the sour cream.