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Potato Draniki with Minced Meat
Instructions
I peel the large potatoes and the onion. I wash the vegetables.
Then I grate them on a medium grater. You can also use a fine grater, but it takes twice as long. Draniki made on a fine grater come out more tender – the choice is yours. If you like, you can use a food processor with an attachment for quickly grating vegetables. Then I squeeze out the liquid, if there is any.
To keep the potato mass from darkening, I squeeze a little lemon juice over it and stir. Then I add the egg, salt, spices and mayonnaise.
After that I add the minced meat (pork with beef tastes best) along with the wheat flour.
I mix the potato mass. If you want the potato pancakes to come out fluffy, you can give them volume by adding a tablespoon of baking powder to the batter.
All that is left is to fry the potato draniki. I heat the oil in a frying pan (pouring roughly 50 ml of oil for each round). Using a tablespoon, I spoon out the potato mass, shaping draniki of the same size (one heaped tablespoon per piece). I fry them for 1.5–2 minutes on each side over medium heat.
Potato draniki with minced meat reveal their flavour best when hot. You can serve them straight from the pan, adding fresh herbs (cilantro, dill or lettuce leaves work well), your favourite sauces (mushroom, cheese and so on) or sour cream.Bon appétit!
Tips
- 1
SQUEEZE OUT THE LIQUID – the "secret" to a crisp crust. An unsqueezed mass gives "boiled" draniki with no crunch. Tip it onto cheesecloth and squeeze it out.
- 2
LEMON JUICE – the potato does not darken. Without it, the grated mass quickly turns grey, which spoils the appearance of the finished dish.
- 3
MAYONNAISE IN THE BATTER – the "secret" to tenderness. The acidity softens the starch, and the mince "binds" with the potato mass.
- 4
1.5–2 MIN PER SIDE – the optimum. Less and the mince is raw, more and the potato "overcooks". The same principle works for other kinds of draniki and pancakes with meat.
FAQ
Which potatoes should I choose? +
Ideal are crumbly, high-starch varieties (Sineglazka, Adretta, Nevsky, Gala). Alternatives: waxy ones (Red Scarlett) also work, but the draniki will be "less crisp". New potatoes are not the best choice (little starch, poor "binding"). Old, "wrinkled" ones are not suitable. The brands "Meristema", "Belaya Dacha" and "Fermersky" are good quality. A size of 80-120 g is convenient for cutting. Light-yellow flesh tastes better than white. Do not soak the potatoes before cutting – the starch washes out. The more starch, the better the draniki hold their shape.
Which mince should I choose? +
Ideal is pork and beef 50/50 (on the author's advice, the classic for draniki). Alternatives: chicken (leaner, more tender), beef (lean), turkey (for children), lamb (an Eastern note). The brands "Miratorg", "Ostankino" and "Dymov" are reliable. For fresh shop-bought mince, check the composition (no soy, starch or phosphates). Freshly ground at home tastes better. A fat content of 20-25 % is optimal. Defrost frozen mince in the fridge for 6-8 hours. A mince-to-potato ratio of 150 g per 400 g of potato is optimal. More mince makes them "meaty", less leaves them without the taste of meat.
How long do draniki keep? +
In the fridge in a container with a lid – 2 days. Reheating in a pan with 1 tsp of oil for 2-3 minutes on each side brings back the crunch. In the microwave I do not recommend it (they turn "rubbery"). In the oven for 5-7 minutes at 150 °C also works. In the freezer I do not recommend it (the potato "falls apart" after thawing). Fresh ones are "star quality" straight off the heat (crisp). After 2 hours they are already soft. Do not leave them at room temperature for longer than 2 hours – the mince spoils. For a "packed lunch", hot in foil is handy. It is best to cook them "for one go".
What to serve draniki with? +
The Belarusian classic: with sour cream (thick, not runny). With fresh herbs (dill, parsley, cilantro, spring onion). With mushroom sauce (on the author's advice). With cheese sauce or mayonnaise. With borscht or shchi – "a full lunch". With a glass of cold kvass – a "Slavic" serving. With a shot of cold vodka – a "manly" serving. With a cup of herbal tea or fruit drink. For a "family lunch" – with a fresh vegetable salad. For a picnic – cooled in foil. For a "children's" lunch – without spices, with sour cream and herbs. A versatile dish of Slavic cuisine.
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