Recipes for Lent: Potato Pancakes

This is a great dish to eat, and the difficulty in preparation is especially good for the cook who needs to do a little extra penance.

Potato Pancakes

5 large red potatoes, peeled and grated
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 onion, grated or finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon of flour
A small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place the grated potatoes in a pot, fill with cold water, and let soak for at least one half hour. Combine eggs and milk in a large mixing bowl and beat, then stir in thyme, parsley, salt and flour. Strain the potatoes, and then spread out over a towel or paper towels, and thoroughly pat down potatoes until completely dry. Once dry, add the potatoes and chopped onion to the mixture and blend all ingredients with a spatula.

In a skillet over medium heat drop about a half teaspoon of olive oil per pancake. Spoon out the potato mixture with a ladle (one ladle full per pancake), add to skillet, and flatten with a spatula. Fit as many pancakes in the skillet as room will allow for flipping. (Recommend no more than two pancakes at a time; I use two large skillets on two different burners at the same time.)

Nota bene: The potato mixture will have a tendency to separate from the potatos, and collect at the bottom of the mixing bowl. Take the opportunity to stir the mixture every time you ladle it to drop a pancake in the skillet, and if any of the mixture is at the bottom, be sure to spoon it out with the ladle every time you drop a pancake. The egg and milk mixture is critically important to the pancake because the egg and milk is what holds the potato together while frying. That mixture is the essential difference between a potato pancake and plain old hash-browns (nothing against hash-browns, mind you!).

Heat the pancakes for about 10 minutes or until golden brown, and then carefully flip the pancakes, and heat for another 10 minutes or until golden brown. As you finish the pancakes remove them from the skillet and place in a pan in the preheated oven until it is time to eat.

These potato pancakes are delicious, but this dish takes a long time to prepare, especially for large families, so be prepared to get started early.