Focaccia With Potatoes, Olives And Sage

Boiled potatoes, olives for saltiness, sage for a herby savouriness - all sitting on a soft bread with a light chew. Like any good focaccia, it has the rich taste of extra virgin olive oil and the characteristically uneven internal structure.

Abouts the Vatican City, there is a shop that sells scrumptious pizza. Thin crust with just the right balance of ingredients on it. It is baked in rectangular trays and sold by weight. If I lived there, I would eat their pizza every day. The pizzas are topped with a creative mix of ingredients and are very fresh. If you do a google search, you will know which shop I am referring to as just about everyone raves about how good it is.

My favourite is the one made with cubes of boiled potatoes, taleggio cheese and sage leaves. It is a surprisingly good combination and although the combination is nothing new to the Italians, I had never heard of it and I would never have thought carbo could work on carbo. That was a decade ago. To this day, I am still so enamoured with the combination, I always bake at least one tray of the same style of pizza on pizza baking days.

I like the fusion so much, I carry it through somewhat in my recipe for focaccia. Instead of the usual black olive or rosemary topped focaccia, try this version, you will be surprised at how well the mix of ingredients work. 

This focaccia goes through 2 rises instead of the traditional one to develop more flavour. Alternatively, prepare the dough overnight, roll into a ball, rub with extra virgin olive oil, cover and refrigerate. With that, you can skip the second rise and move on to prepping it the next day directly in the baking tray. Then, following through as outlined in my recipe below.
FOCACCIA WITH POTATOES, OLIVES & SAGE                 

Prep:	30 minutes
Cook:	Potatoes: ~8 minutes Baking: 20 -25 minutes
Inactive:	~ 3 hours
Level:	I think this is one of the easiest bread to bake with success for the beginner baker
Serves:	5 - 6
Oven Temperature:	400F 200C
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	Dough can be rested overnight. Taste best on the day it is baked.

Just the ingredients 3 and 1/4 cups + 2 Tablespoons bread flour  OR to make a healthier option replace with up to 3/4 cup of spelt flour 1 and 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast 2 teaspoons sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 and 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons water 8 Tablespoons (divided) extra virgin olive oil + extra for oiling fingers ~ 1 potato or enough to make ~ 1/2 - 1 cup of boiled diced potatoes  A few green/black pitted olives Handful of fresh sage leaves Salt for sprinkling

Ingredients

3 and 1/4 cups + 2 Tablespoons bread flour 
OR to make a healthier option
replace with up to 3/4 cup of spelt flour

If you use spelt (a primitive whole grain flour), the focaccia will bake into a brown colour.  As spelt flour absorbs more water, add an additional 2- 3 Tablespoons of water.

1 and 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons water

6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + extra for oiling fingers

Divided into 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 Tablespoons

~ 1 potato or enough to make ~ 1/2 to 1 cup of diced potatoes 
I prefer using a starchy potato like Russet or an all-purpose potato like Yukon because if you knock them up a bit after boiling (details in recipe below), those craggy bits will have a higher chance of baking into crisp edges.

A few green/black pitted olives
Not too much or it will be too salty.

Handful of fresh sage leaves

Salt for sprinkling

Method

By machine

In the mixer bowl, add the flour(s) (withhold the 2 Tablespoons of bread flour for the moment), instant yeast, sugar and salt and stir to mix well.

Make a well in the centre, 1 and 1/4 cups + 2 Tablespoons of water and the 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Start the mixer on low speed and gradually work up to medium-medium high speed. I use my KitchenAid.

The dough will be sticky. Do not add any flour. Let the machine run for 8 - 10 minutes. 

If the dough looks impossibly sticky, use 1 of the 2 Tablespoons flour. If you think it is still too sticky, add the other 1 Tablespoon flour.

Beyond that, don't add any more flour. It might result in a dry focaccia and you want a sticky dough as it means you will get an irregular internal structure, that is, the characteristic large and small holes you see when you slice through a focaccia. Refer to my picture above. So remember, the dough should be on the sticky side with dough sticking to the sides of your mixer bowl.

By hand

You need a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients (but withhold the 2 Tablespoons of bread flour for the moment) and mix it well.

Create a well, add only 1 cup of the water and 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.

With a spoon or your fingers, use a circular motion to mix the water and oil and gradually work in the dry ingredients using the same circular motion.

This will be a very sticky dough but you must use up all the water indicated in my recipe. So once, you have incorporated all the dry ingredients into a mangled  mess, gradually work in the remaining 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons of water. If you have been using a spoon to do the mixing, you might want to switch to your fingers.

Knead for at least 10 minutes. The dough should get more elastic and stretchy.

After 10 minutes of kneading, the dough will still be sticky but it should be more elastic. If the dough feels impossibly sticky, use 1 of the 2 Tablespoons flour. If you think it is still too sticky, add the other 1 Tablespoon flour.

Beyond that, don't add any more flour. It might result in a dry focaccia and you want a sticky dough as it means you will get an irregular internal structure, that is, the characteristic large and small holes you see when you slice through a focaccia. Refer to my picture above. So remember, the dough should be on the sticky side with dough sticking to the sides of your bowl.

After kneading

Do the 'window pane' test. 

First, oil your finger tips with some extra virgin olive oil. If you can stretch the dough easily and thin enough till it's translucent without the dough quickly tearing, the gluten has developed enough and you are ready to go. If not, have the machine knead for another 5 minutes. If kneading by hand, you might have to knead even longer.

As sticky as it looks, this is the stage when my dough passed the 'window pane' test and when I stopped kneading, gathered it up into a ball to let it go through the first rise. 

Pour 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into the bowl you would be using for rising the dough. Oil the sides of the bowl with your finger tips.

With the help of a scraper (oil if first), gather up the dough into a ball. Coat the ball on all sides with oil. This will keep the dough moist. The dough might be sitting in a little pool of extra virgin olive oil. That's fine.

Cover the bowl and leave it to rise until almost double in size. ~ 60 minutes.

The dough can also be refrigerated overnight at this point. 

Preparing the potatoes

Whilst the dough is rising, boil the potato(es) in their skin(s). When the water comes to a boil, salt the water generously. 

Once potatoes are cooked through, drain and whilst the potatoes are still warm, peel off the skins and cut into cubes. Place in a bowl. Salt them. 

Knock them up a bit by shaking the bowl. You want the edges bashed up a little so that those edges will bake up crisp. It's the same principle as when you roast potatoes that goes with the Sunday roast. Set aside. 

Do not cover. Instead, let the potato cubes air dry.

After the first rise

If you had refrigerated the dough, proceed straight to "After the second rise" instead.

Punch down the dough, quickly reshape into a ball, cover and let it go through a second rise. ~ 45 minutes.

After the second rise (transferring it to baking tray)

Have your baking tray ready. 

What size of a tray to use? It depends on how thin or thick you want your focaccia to be. For a baked focaccia between 1" - 2" thick, a tray ~14"x10"x1.5" (~35.5cmX24.4cmX3.8cm) should be fine.

Spread 1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil onto the bottom and sides of the tray. 

Salt the bottom of the tray. 

Transfer the dough gently (with any remaining oil in the bowl) onto the baking tray. 

Stretch the dough out gently and then continue to stretch the dough out to try and fit the tray by digging your fingers straight into the dough and stretching the dough. You want to create little funnel pockets. However, don't over work the dough. 

In all likelihood, you would not be able to stretch the dough right into the corners of the tray, that's fine. As the dough rises and bakes it will fill the entire tray so leave it for now. 

Alternatively, let the dough rest for 15 minutes and go back to it and stretch it out a bit more but either way, keep the dough moist by spreading 1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over the dough.

On my first attempt, I was not able to stretch the dough out to the corners. I brushed it with extra virgin olive oil and left it alone for 15 minutes. Then, I went back to it.

Pour 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a bowl and toss the boiled potatoes, sage leaves and olives in them.

Sage leaves are lightly to get singed in the oven without the coating of oil and you need the oil to help the sage leaves release its flavour. Either leave leaves whole or tear them up.

If you need to stretch the dough out a bit more to fill the tray, do so now.

Then, poke all the way in, right to the bottom of the tray, the cubes of potatoes, sage leaves and olives.

Cover, and let it rise until almost double in size. ~ 30 - 40 minutes.

Just before baking, you can choose to push the ingredients back down to the bottom of the tray so that you get a dimpled looking focaccia. 

Here is a tip. Your risen focaccia at this point might have risen unevenly. To even out the rise, play around with the ingredients -pushing the potato/sage/olive a bit further down into the dough or shifting them a little (left/right/forward/backward) to even out the rise of the dough. Don't over do the adjustments or you will deflate the risen dough. And, if you so happened to have overworked and deflated the dough, cover, leave it alone for 15 minutes and then proceed.

Brush the last 1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil onto the dough and then sprinkle salt.

Bake at 400F (200C) on the middle rack for ~ 20 - 25 minutes. 

The top should be golden. When you use a palette knife to lift and peak at the base, it should be golden brown too and when you tap on the base, it would sound hollow.

Cool in the tray on a cooling rack before serving.

Tips

Suggestions for various other ingredients to top a focaccia

• grapes
• browned onions and browned julienned ginger
• dried cranberries (plumped up beforehand in some wine)
• cubes of roasted beetroot in various colours: gold, candy stripes, magenta
• pitted cherries
• all kinds of green herbs
• cherry tomatoes
• garlic slices
• smoked salt
• garlic salt

the possibilities are quite endless.

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                             

This most intensely chocolatey tart meets with the complete approval of all the chocoholics I have fed it to.

5-Minutes Apricot And Mozzarella Salad

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5 Minutes Apricot And Mozzarella Salad

Link to my newest and old recipes, click:

https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

This is the speediest salad you could put on the table with no dressing to make.

The best tasting apricot I have ever eaten was many years ago. I was sitting in the front seat of the rental car and in my lap was a bag of tree ripened apricots. Having pre-warned my travelling partner not to drive off as yet, I proceeded to stuff my face with the apricots. Yes, yes, I did share a few bites of it. 

It was good that I had the foresight to tell my partner not to touch the gear shift while I tried the apricots. That meant I could pop back into the store for more apricots. I plan carefully when it comes to good eating. 

Now a days, the apricots in stores need a bit help to enhance its flavour. Quite simple. Just dip them in caster or superfine sugar and they will be quite wonderful to eat. Not as good as tree ripened ones but they will do.
5-MINUTES APRICOT AND MOZZARELLA SALAD          

Prep:	5 minutes
Cook:	-
Inactive:	-
Level:	Very easy
Serves:	3 - 4
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	No

Just the ingredients 4 balls of mozzarella OR burrata ~ 6 - 8 apricots ~ 3 Tablespoons caster/super fine sugar ~ a few springs of mint  ~ 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil pepper and salt to taste

Ingredients

4 balls of mozzarella OR burrata
Burrata looks like mozzarella but they are not. They are twice better because of the curds and cream that has been added into those little balls. Hence, they are that much more costly.

~ 6 - 8 apricots

~ 3 Tablespoons caster/super fine sugar

~ a few springs of mint 
What to do with any leftover mint? Scroll down to 'Tips' for suggestions.

~ 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

pepper and salt to taste

Method

Break the mozzarella or burrata balls into small pieces and dot it around your serving platter.

Cut the apricots in half along the seam line. You can't slice through the fruit as there is a seed inside. Slice around the seed by rotating the fruit. Then, put the knife down and twist the fruit apart.

Dip the cut surface of the apricot into the caster sugar and place them cut side up amongst the mozzarella/burrata. Repeat wit the rest of the apricots.

Tear off some mint leaves and scatter them over the apricots and cheese.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper.

Serve quickly with some good bread.

Tips

What to do with any leftover mint?

Mint, Lime and Lemongrass Infused Cooler. 
I believe my dog approves of this drink too.

Mint Chutney, Mint Dip.  
Really good with tortilla chips amongst other things.

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                            

To go with the sweet apricots and creamy mozzarella, try this salty savoury focaccia which is rather different from the usual. It is baked with boiled cubes of potatoes, olives and fresh sage.

Potato Salad With Ingredient X

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Potato Salad With Ingredient X

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https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

Comfort food for sure but thank goodness it can be lightened up, if only by a little.

A full blown mayonnaise dressing can be an overkill with this already carbohydrate loaded salad. So to lighten it up and convince myself that it is not going to fatten me too much, I reduce the mayonnaise and replace it with some greek yogurt. 

It does make for a better tasting salad as it is less cloyingly rich. Now don't even think of using that bottle of low-fat mayonnaise nonsense. It doesn't even taste like mayonnaise! If you are going to blow your diet on a potato salad, please, at least use real mayonnaise. Your taste buds will thank you.

Dare I tell you why this potato salad is not just good but very good? Your opinion of me might dip thereafter but the difference in taste is so pronounced without ingredient x, that sharing with you how to make an equally good potato salad, by far out weighs an ego setback. Ready? Throw in a cube of chicken bouillon. That's right. For details as to when and how, you would have to read further on. Now, I am going to curl up into a ball and hide. 

POTATO SALAD WITH INGREDIENT X                               

Prep:	30 minutes
Cook:	30 minutes
Inactive:	-
Level:	Easy enough
Makes:	6 cups
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	Taste best freshly made but it can be made in the morning to be consumed within that day.

Just the ingredients 1 lb (450g) waxy or all-purpose potato 2 - 3 eggs 1 chicken bouillon cube (small) OR  the equivalent of 3/4 - 1 teaspoon chicken granules 1 Tablespoon boiling water ~1/4 cup frozen green peas ~1/2 cup diced cooked peeled shrimps/prawns 4 - 5 rashers of bacon 1/4 cup finely diced onions 1 clove grated garlic 1/2 cup diced water chestnuts OR 1 red apple 2 Tablespoons raisins/cranberries 1/4 cup mayonnaise 3 Tablespoons greek yogurt  OR  3 Tablespoons light sour cream 1 - 2 teaspoons sugar or adjust to taste 1/4 teaspoon pepper pinch of salt

Ingredients

1 lb (450g) waxy or all-purpose potato

A waxy potato keeps its shape after cooking. Example, Nadine. An all-purpose potato such as Yukon Gold would taste even better and it's my favourite (Desiree would be fine too). However, do not buy a starchy potato, that is, one that you would use for making mash potatoes such as Russet, Idaho or King Edward unless you prefer a potato salad that is more mash.

As a rough guide, potatoes with a smooth and thin skin are often waxy potatoes. Rougher, darker brown coloured potatoes are starchy potatoes. All-purpose potatoes look in between the two.

2 eggs

1 chicken bouillon cube (small)
OR 
the equivalent of 3/4 - 1 teaspoon chicken granules

1 Tablespoon boiling water

~1/4 cup frozen green peas

~1/2 cup diced cooked peeled shrimps/prawns

I prefer to buy them fresh, cook them quickly in their shells in boiling salted water, peel and then dice.

4 rashers of bacon

1/4 cup finely diced onions

1 clove grated garlic

1/2 cup diced water chestnuts

I prefer buying them fresh as the sweetness and crunch of these are not the same as those from a can. Either omit or use the ones from the can if you like those. Drain well and dice.

OR

1 red apple

Peel, core and dice small.

1 - 2 Tablespoons raisins/cranberries

Little pops of sweetness helps offset the creamy richness of the potatoes and mayonnaise.

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Full fat, no low-fat nonsense here. It doesn't taste the same!

3 Tablespoons greek yogurt OR light sour cream

Using all mayonnaise will make the salad too cloyingly rich. I lighten it up with greek yogurt (greek because it has a thicker consistency and won't make the finished dressing too runny) or a light sour cream- I am permitting light, in fact, insist it has to be light to offset the full fat mayonnaise. Adjust the mayonnaise:yogurt/light sour cream ratio to suit your taste.

What to do with the remaining light sour cream? My Pasta Tossed In A Radish Sprouts Light Sour Cream Sauce is perfect and easy to execute.

1 - 2 teaspoons sugar or adjust to taste

Yogurt/light sour cream will help lighten up an all mayonnaise dressing but you would need some sugar to adjust for the tartness.

1/4 teaspoon pepper

pinch of salt

Method

Place washed but unpeeled potatoes in pot, fill with water to cover above 1" (2.5cm). Add the eggs in there as well. Always wash your eggs with soap and water just before using. Use a sheet of scrunched up kitchen paper towel to rub off all dirt. You do realise that all manner of chicken goo gets stuck on the shells right?

Cover pot, bring to boil over high heat. Remove cover and lower to a medium-high heat. Time 10 minutes from this point, remove eggs to cold water and when cooled, peel and dice them. Set aside.

Whilst potatoes are cooking, bring to boil 3/4 cup of water in a small pot. Remove 1 Tablespoon of the boiling water to dissolve the chicken bouillon. Set aside.

Salt the remaining pot of boiling water and cook the frozen green peas. Takes 1 - 2 minutes. Use a strainer to lift up the peas. Set aside.

If you are using fresh shrimps/prawns, now is the time to cook them. 

In the same pot of boiling water, add the prawns/shrimps. When they turn completely pink, remove with the strainer. Cool, peel and dice. Set aside.

Mix well, the mayonnaise, greek yogurt/light sour cream, sugar and pepper. Adjust to taste. Do not salt as the bacon and chicken bouillon is salty. Set aside.

Check on the potatoes. They are cooked when you can slide a skewer easily through. Drain. Potatoes are easier to peel whilst still warm. After peeling, dice them.

Whilst the potatoes are cooking or cooling, cut bacon into 1" (2.5cm) slices and in a large pan, fry the bacon until crisp (no need to add oil). Turn off the heat, remove from stove top but leave bacon with the drippings in the pan. 

Place the diced potatoes, diced onions and grated garlic directly into the pan where the fried bacon is sitting and mix quickly. Dressing the potatoes whilst they are still hot will ensure that the potatoes can soak up maximum flavour. And, if you had left the potatoes to cool for too long, the residual heat in the pan will reheat the potatoes a little which is a good thing.

Now, add the chicken bouillon liquid and mix. 

Fold in the salad dressing. 

Next goes in the green peas, raisins, prawns/shrimps and diced water chestnuts/apple. Fold in gently.

Lastly, fold in the diced eggs. Don't over mix or the egg yolks will start to collapse and turn the salad into mash.

Adjust seasoning to taste, using the pinch of salt only if necessary.

Chill immediately if not eating warm. 

Tips

• Potato salad can go rancid pretty quickly, especially if you live in an area with high humidity. If I am not eating the salad straight away, I refrigerate my still warm salad immediately into the refrigerator. Do not cover it whilst it is still warm, condensation sets in and you don't want the water vapours to pool down into the salad. Cover only after it has completely cooled.
• This potato salad taste best if eaten within 6 hours or at most, within the day.

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                                
It's apricot season and let me tell you how to get them nice and sweet for this delicious fresh mozzarella salad.

Egg And Gluten Free Potato Pancakes With Pesto Sour Cream

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Egg And Gluten Free Potato Pancakes With Pesto Sour Cream

Link to my newest and old recipes, click:

https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

I am not into rosti, latkes or hash browns but some of my family members are. So when the mood strikes me, I get myself some good quality starchy potatoes and make my crisp-on-the-outside soft-on-the-inside grated potato pancakes.

As long as I keep it to a serving of 4, I am willingly to make them. A higher number and I recoil. It is too tediously boring standing over a hot stove frying them. However, it's the only potato pancake I will eat. Too often, those served outside are drenched in grease, worse still, the inside is raw or horror of horrors they were clearly from a frozen bag.

The type of potato you use is important and should you or should you not parboil the potatoes? I have done the testing. All you need to do is scroll down to 'Tips' and decide which option to take.

These gluten free pancakes use a little chickpea (garbanzo) and corn flour to hold the potatoes together. Using chickpea flour will give you the crispiest potato pancakes as compared to using all corn flour or all-purpose(plain) flour. What to do with the rest of the chickpea flour though? Here's an idea. 

Don't they look crispy? Crispy Gluten, Dairy And Egg Free Corn Fritters.

EGG & GLUTEN FREE POTATO PANCAKES WITH PESTO SOUR CREAM

Prep:	30 minutes
Cook:	30 minutes
Inactive:	-
Level:	Moderate
Serves:	4 as a light meal
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes, but the frying is time consuming!
Make ahead?	No

Just the ingredients For the pancakes 1.65lbs (750g) starchy potatoes such as the Russet 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds 1/3 cup chickpea flour 1 Tablespoon corn flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 Tablespoons your choice of parsley/coriander/celery leaves 4 Tablespoons green onions The toppings 6.76oz (200ml) light sour cream OR creme fraiche 3 Tablespoons pesto to taste 1 packet smoked salmon as much or as little as you prefer 1 packet arugula/rocket leaves as much or as little as you prefer  3 Tablespoons your choice of dried raspberries/cranberries/dates

Ingredients

For the pancakes

1.65lbs (750g) starchy potatoes such as the Russet

Please scroll down to 'Tips' to find out why I prefer using starchy over waxy potatoes.

2 Tablespoons sesame seeds

1/3 cup chickpea flour
You could use all corn flour but they won't fry up as crispy. If you are not on a gluten free diet, you could use all-purpose/plain flour but they would be even less crispy.

1 Tablespoon corn flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 Tablespoons your choice of parsley/coriander/celery leaves

4 Tablespoons green onions

The toppings
6.76oz (200ml) light sour cream or creme fraiche

3 Tablespoons pesto or adjust to your taste

1 packet smoked salmon as much or as little as you prefer

1 packet arugula/rocket leaves as much or as little as you prefer 

3 Tablespoons your choice of dried raspberries/cranberries/dates
You need some small nugget of sweetness to offset the richness.

Method

Peel potatoes and grate them on the large hole side of a box grater. It means there will be a flatter and larger surface area for the potatoes to cook quickly and a better chance for the potatoes to crisp up. Drain over a colander.

In the meantime, heat up the frying pan that you will be using to fry the potatoes on high heat. When the pan is hot, toast the sesame seeds, stirring all the time until they are a light golden brown and some seeds would have started hopping in the pan. This would take less than 2 minutes. Sesame seeds burn easily so do not leave the stove. Remove and transfer to a plate. Left on the pan, it will burn.

Slice up the spring onions and parsley. 

Wash the arugula and drain. 

Mix the pesto into the light sour cream. Add more/less pesto to your taste. Refrigerate.

In a mixing bowl, mix the toasted sesame seeds, chickpea flour, corn flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.

With hands, lightly squeeze out the excess starchy liquid from the grated potatoes but you do not want to wring them bone dry. You need some liquid for the dry ingredients to cling to and help bind the grated potato together.

Add the grated potato, spring onions and parsley to the dry ingredients and mix gently.

Heat up the same frying pan with ~1 and 1/2 Tablespoons or so of oil on high heat. These pancakes need enough oil to fry and crisp up so don't be too light handed with the oil and add more through the cooking process if you deem necessary.

Loosely dollop a layer of potato mix in the heated oil. Do not pack it down and keep it to about 3/4" (2cm) thick. Drizzle another 1/2 Tablespoon of oil around the circumference of the pancake.

After 1 minute on high heat, reduce the heat to medium-high, cover with a lid that has an air vent and continue to cook for another 2 minutes or so until the bottom has set and is golden brown. Flip over the potato pancake. Rely not only on your watch and eyes but your nose as well, if it smells like it has browned, it's time to flip.

Drizzle 1/2 Tablespoon of oil around the circumference. Cover and cook for another 1 - 2 minutes to let the potatoes cooked through.  Depending on how quickly the potatoes brown on this side, you might have to reduce the heat a little.

Remove the cover, check that the bottom has crisp up nicely and if not serving immediately, transfer to a cooling rack set over a baking tray.  Do not set it down directly on paper towels or a plate as the bottom will just go soggy on you with time. 

If the oil bothers you, blot with paper towels before serving but it would certainly be less greasy than what you would have had served to you in an eating house.

Repeat the same process for the rest of the pancakes. Remember to start frying on high heat as it encourages the potatoes to quickly set and hold its shape.

These taste best hot so eat them as soon as you can before they lose their crispness.

Tips

• Why do I prefer to use starchy potatoes?

Starchy potatoes allows you to have pancakes that are soft and fluffy on the inside with a nice crisp crust on the outside. 

This is possible if you do not fry a pancake that is too thick and if you do not pack the grated potatoes down on the frying pan. Otherwise, the insides will not be cooked through and you might end up with a soggy pancake as well.

Starchy potatoes are what you would use for mash potatoes. It makes fluffy mashed potatoes. It is also what you would use for making french fries as the outside crisp up whilst the insides stays soft. Jacket potatoes (individually baked whole potatoes in their skins) taste best using these starchy potatoes and so would a tray of roasted cut potatoes. 

To identify starchy potatoes, look at its peel- rough, slightly thick and often a darker brown colour. Example: Russet, Idaho, King Edward.  

Waxy potatoes might feel a little waxy on the teeth and has a firm bite. They are lower in starch and keep their shape better through cooking. I believe that is the reason some prefer to use waxy over starchy potatoes in recipes for rosti and latkes. 

I don't as there won't be any fluffy soft parts of a potato pancake to enjoy which is characteristic of starchy potatoes. Remember, the benefit of using a starchy potato is soft insides and crisp outsides. I also much prefer the delicate taste of starchy potatoes which I can eat simply boiled with just a little salt. If you cook potato pancakes the way I do (outlined in recipe above), those starchy potatoes will not lose shape or turn mashy.

Waxy potatoes would be used in stews, curries, soups, perhaps a gratin or in any dish where you want the potato to hold its shape.

To identify waxy potatoes, look at its peel- usually smooth, thin (you could possibly scratch it off with your nail) and often a more translucent shade. Example: Nadine, Fingerlings, Charlotte. 

The all-rounder potatoes fall in a category that is between starchy and waxy and are good for just about any method of cooking. These would be the Yukon Gold, Desiree, or if you are not sure just read the labels on the bag of potatoes. The better brands will tell you what those potatoes in the bag are good for. I love Yukon Gold and I would use them in this recipe if I could get a hold of it.

• To parboil or not to parboil the potatoes?

Please do not bother as I cooked potato pancakes both ways with both starchy and waxy potatoes. 

Parboiling starchy potatoes and then grating them is a hit and miss thing. They are floury potatoes to begin with and it is difficult to gauge how long to parboil them without risking over parboiling then and making grating them quite a nightmare. The way I cook them, they certainly don't benefit from parboiling. 

Parboiling waxy potato turned my pancakes gummy compared to freshly grated waxy potato pancakes. 

Conclusion: As long as you grate the potatoes on the large hole side of a box grater, place them loosely, keeping it about a 3/4" (2cm) thick layer on a hot frying pan and don't pack them down, the pancakes will cook through and be crisp and delicious but do use a starchy potato.
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A potato salad to serve the masses. Perfect to take to a potluck, BBQ, at a hotdog party... It's actually very hearty as it is packed with ingredients and could be eaten as a meal with some salad.