Potato pancakes

“Zemiak je náš druhý chlieb,” my father-in-law often says. “Potatoes are our second bread.”

These potato pancakes are the perfect celebration of a Slovak’s most beloved vegetable.

Gruľovníky

From Babka Mária

Slovaks have seemingly infinite potato-based recipes, from soups to sides to baking flour replacements. These potato pancakes, or gruľovníky, may be the most humble offering, but this doesn’t make them any less delicious.  A combination of three simple ingredients that can be served savory or sweet, they are a traditional staple, especially in eastern Slovakia.

4.5 lb potatoes 2 kg v šupke uvarené zemiaky

8 cups flour 1 kg hladkej múky špeciál, nie chlebovej

1 heaping tsp salt 1 kopcovité čajové lyžičky soli

• Boil potatoes in salted water. Once cooked, peel, dice and blend in a food processor.

  Babka Mária uses a meat grinder, but because I don’t have one in my kitchen, I use a food processor instead.

• Put about 1 1/4 cups (300 g) of flour, 1 scant teaspoon of salt and half of the potatoes into a large bowl. With both hands, combine into a dough.

  Babka Mária suggest that you not combine all the ingredients at once, but rather make two batches. The moisture in the potatoes will affect the dough if it is left to sit while the pancakes are prepared.

• Next, roll out the dough to the thickness of ¼” (6-7mm), then cut out pancakes with a 2” (5.5 cm) cutter.

• Each circle will then be rolled again to a diameter of 8.5” (22 cm).

  Babka Mária says that during this process, she tends to use a lot of flour, but before placing the pancakes on the pan, she dusts the flour off by passing the cake back and forth between her hands. She also uses a butter knife to peel up any cakes that stick to the counter.

• Heat a frying pan over medium heat and lightly coat it with vegetable oil. Add 2-3 cakes at a time, and cook for ~2 minutes per side.

  Babka Mária notes that the cakes should not have dark burnt spots, but instead just a slightly mottled look. It’s important to remember that in the beginning, the cook time will be a little bit longer; as the skillet or frying pan heats up, your cook time per side will shorten.

More pain, more gain

Many Slovak recipes would have you believe that you’re feeding an army. While the preparation of so many ingredients at once is time-consuming, I’ve found that I prefer to work with large batches. . . and then take a breather.