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Ingredients
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Potato Pancakes
Toppings & Garnish
Method
Potato Pancakes
- 1
Prepare potatoes and onion
Using a box grater or food processor with a grating disc, grate the peeled russet potatoes. Immediately place grated potatoes into a large bowl of cold water and swish to remove excess starch. Grate the onion and add it to a fine mesh sieve, pressing gently to release juices into the potato bowl (retain juices).
- 2
Rinse and dry
Drain the potato water and transfer the grated potatoes to a clean kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels. Squeeze firmly to remove as much moisture as possible (this step is critical for crisp pancakes). Measure out the potatoes — you should have roughly 2 cups packed grated potato.
- 3
Combine batter
In a medium bowl, combine the well-drained grated potatoes, grated onion (with any collected juices you want for flavor, up to 1 tablespoon), 3 tablespoons flour, 1 beaten large egg, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix until combined but do not overwork; the mixture should hold together when pressed.
- 4
Preheat skillet
Place a heavy skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon neutral oil and 1 tablespoon butter to the pan. When the butter foams and begins to brown lightly, reduce heat to medium.
- 5
Form and fry pancakes
Spoon roughly 3 tablespoons of the potato mixture per pancake into the skillet, flattening to 3-4 inch rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Do not overcrowd — cook in batches if needed. Cook 3-4 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp. Add additional oil (about 1 tablespoon) between batches if pan becomes dry. Transfer cooked pancakes to a wire rack set over a baking sheet in a warm (200°F / 95°C) oven to keep crisp while finishing remaining pancakes.
- 6
Season
While still warm, season pancakes lightly with a pinch of fine sea salt.
Toppings & Assembly
- 7
Prepare creme fraiche
If desired, loosen the creme fraiche with 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice or a tablespoon of the reserved onion juice for brightness and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust with a small pinch of salt and pepper.
- 8
Plate
Place 2 potato pancakes per serving on warmed plates. On each pancake, dollop about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of the creme fraiche, spreading slightly but leaving a center for the roe.
- 9
Top with roe and garnish
Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon smoked trout roe onto the creme fraiche on each pancake (total roughly 3 tablespoons roe for 6 pancakes). Sprinkle the snipped chives over the pancakes and zest the lemon lightly across the top. Finish with a light grind of black pepper and a tiny pinch of fine sea salt to taste. Serve lemon quarters on the side for guests to squeeze a touch of fresh juice over the roe if desired.