Draniki

About this dish

Draniki belong to a whole family of Eastern European grated-potato pancakes that appeared once the potato itself became a staple crop across the region, cheap and filling enough to feed a household with barely anything else added. The name comes from the Ukrainian and Belarusian verb for grating, which is exactly and only what the dish requires — no yeast, no long resting, nothing that needs planning a day ahead, which is precisely why it became a everyday food rather than an occasion one.

• Vegetarian
• Not vegan because of Eggs, Sour cream, to serve
• Contains gluten because of Plain flour
• Contains dairy because of Sour cream, to serve

• 800gPotatoes
• 100gOnion
• 2largeEggs
• 40gPlain flour
• 8gFine sea salt
• 2gGround black pepper
• 60mlSunflower oil
• 150gSour cream, to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   Coarsely grate the potatoes and the onion, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the mixture.

   10 min

   Tip: Don't skip the squeezing — potatoes release a surprising amount of starchy water as they sit, and that water is exactly what turns a crisp pancake into a soggy, pan-sticking one.

2. 2

   Mix in the eggs, flour, salt and pepper until just combined.

   5 min

   Tip: Mix them in right after grating and squeezing, not before — grated potato left standing on its own starts turning grey and needs to be bound quickly once it's ready.

3. 3

   Heat the sunflower oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat.

   2 min

   Tip: Use enough oil to properly shallow-fry rather than a thin film — draniki are meant to be crisp on both sides, and a dry pan just steams them instead.

4. 4

   Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil, flatten slightly, and fry for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden.

   18 min

   Tip: Flatten them fairly thin — a thick pancake browns on the outside long before the potato inside is properly cooked through, leaving a raw centre under a burnt crust.

5. 5

   Drain briefly on paper towels and serve hot with a spoonful of sour cream.

   2 min

   Tip: Serve them the moment they come out of the pan — draniki lose their crisp edge fast as they cool, and this is one dish that genuinely doesn't wait well.