Kartoffelpuffer – Potato Pancakes
by Elena Koopermann
"Kartoffelpuffer" would probably be best described as potato pancakes in English. The Germans have quite a number of names to describe their potato pancakes, which vary by area. The most commonly used names include: Reibekuchen, Reibedatschi, Reibeplätzchen or Dötscher.
German potato pancakes are made out of grated potatoes, onion, eggs and breadcrumbs. They are fried in a pan until they become golden and are then traditionally served with applesauce.
Potato pancakes are traditionally sold on Christmas markets and funfairs. In the Rhine-area Fridays are commonly known as ‘Reibekuchen’ day, since Fridays are traditionally meat-free days.
Recipe:
12 large potatoes
3 onions
8 tblsp breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1 glass applesauce
+ salt, pepper and oil
Peel and grate the potatoes, then dry them with a tea towel and season the grated potatoes with salt and pepper
Dice the onions and add them with the eggs and the breadcrumbs to the grated potatoes. Then mix
Then fry palm sized portions of the mix in a pan until golden
Serve the fried potato pancakes with a tablespoon of apple sauce
