Potato Pancakes

Name: Potato Pancakes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 30
Ingredients: White potatoes Kennebec 2.2 lbs; Type 00 flour 2 tbsp; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper (optional) to taste; Peanut seed oil to taste

Lactose Free
Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Makes: 30 pieces
Cost: Very low

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Lulù Gargari

The 'tortel di patate' is a dish that embodies the culinary tradition of Trentino Alto Adige, where the white-fleshed potatoes, mainly cultivated in Val di Non, are the main ingredient. Every family has its own version of the 'tortel', often enhancing it with a personal touch like adding an egg or a bit of milk. This dish has roots in the kitchens of the past, when resources were limited, and there was a need to create hearty and energy-rich meals for large families. Despite the name, which might be misleading, the 'tortel' is neither a stuffed pasta nor a fried dessert, but a crispy and tasty savory pancake, prepared with few but flavorful ingredients. Generally, the 'tortel' is served as an appetizer, accompanied by a generous platter of local cold cuts and cheeses, cabbage salad, borlotti beans, and a good glass of red wine. For those seeking a more refined pairing, potato 'tortel' pairs perfectly with alpine cheeses and lingonberry jam. A simple yet rich-in-history dish that tells the authenticity of Trentino cuisine.

Let yourself be tempted by these specialties of Trentino-Alto Adige:

INGREDIENTS

For about 30 pancakes: White potatoes 2.2 lbs (1 kg) - Kennebec; Type 00 flour 2 tbsp (15 g); Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste - (optional)

For frying: Peanut seed oil to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Potato Pancakes

To make potato 'tortel', start by peeling the white potatoes 1. Grate them with a coarse grater 2 3.

Transfer the grated potatoes to a strainer 4 to remove the water content 5; the mixture should be dry. Now add the flour 6.

Salt and pepper 7 and mix with a spoon 8 to get a homogeneous dough. Immediately cook the 'tortel': heat the seed oil in a pot to a temperature of 340°F. Take a spoonful of dough 9.

Using another spoon 10 let the 'tortel' dough slide into the hot oil 11 and fry until golden 12. Immerse a few pieces at a time to prevent the oil temperature from dropping.

Drain the 'tortel' on a tray lined with absorbent paper 13. Continue this way until the dough is finished; with these amounts, you will get about 30 'tortel' 14. Serve your 'tortel' immediately, accompanied by a platter of cold cuts and cheeses 15!

Storage

As with all fried foods, it is recommended to consume the potato 'tortel' immediately.

Advice

To grate the 'tortel', you can also use the mixer; in this case, the grain will be slightly different.

We recommend using white potatoes and not yellow ones, whose flesh would be too compact.

One of the typical pairings is serving it with a cabbage salad dressed the old-fashioned way, with caraway seeds, oil, salt, and vinegar.

Tradition has it that the last 'tortel' should be enjoyed as a dessert: once the children sprinkled it with sugar, today it is preferred with a spoonful of lingonberry jam!

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.