The crispy potato slice pancake turns a single potato into dinner: the whole potato is peeled into thin ribbons, rinsed in ice water for glass-like crunch, dried, bound with one egg, a spoon of flour, a little sour cream, salt and pepper, then pressed into one even layer and fried about 4 minutes a side plus a couple extra until golden and proud. Brilliant next to meat — the fat flows straight into the crisp. Serves 2.
Instructions
- 1
Take a peeler to the whole potato — do not stop at the skin, slice it all into thin ribbons.
- 2
Drop the ribbons into ice-cold water to rinse out the starch — that is the glass-like crunch later.
- 3
Pat them completely dry — no moisture, no sogginess.
- 4
Mix with the egg, flour, sour cream, salt and pepper.
- 5
Heat oil in a pan, spread the mix into one even layer and press it down a little.
- 6
Fry about 4 minutes per side, then a couple extra to turn golden and proud.
10:00
Watch the video
Notes from our kitchen
The peeler is the trick — ribbons this thin lace together into one pancake with far more crisp surface than grated potato. The ice-water rinse and the thorough drying are a pair: the rinse strips the surface starch that would turn the middle gluey, and the drying is what lets the outside actually fry. Press the layer once, then leave it alone; flipping early tears it.
Variations
- Cheese in the mix. A small handful of grated hard cheese folded in with the egg browns into the lattice — closer to a rösti-meets-frico result. Keep it modest or the pancake loosens.
- What to serve with it. The video calls it: brilliant with meat, because the juices run straight into the crisp — steak, sausages, or a chop. Solo, it takes the same sour-cream-garlic-dill sauce as the Parmesan stacks from this video.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why ribbons instead of grated potato?
Ribbons from a peeler are wider and flatter than shreds, so they overlap into a connected sheet that fries as one piece with big, glassy crisp areas. Grated potato makes a denser, softer pancake — a different (also good) dish.
My pancake fell apart when flipping — why?
Usually one of three: the ribbons were still wet (the binder slides off), the layer was too thick to set through, or it was flipped before the first side finished its four minutes. A plate-assisted flip, like a tortilla, is the safe move.
Can I prep the ribbons ahead?
Yes — they can sit in the ice water in the fridge for a few hours; it only helps the starch rinse. Dry them thoroughly and mix with the binder right before frying, not earlier, or the salt pulls water back out.
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Potato Skins with Paprika
Tortilla de Patatas
Golden Potato Circles
Garlic Parmesan-Crusted Roasted Potatoes with Bacon
Golden Garlic Butter Potatoes
