Sauerkraut & Potato Fritters

These latke-like fritters are inspired by Alsace with the addition of sauerkraut. Feel free to use frozen hashbrown potatoes for this recipe as it eliminates one extra step of quickly blanching and grating the potatoes, and they’ll be less likely to oxidize before you fry them. To get a nicely packed fritter and a crispy golden brown exterior, squeeze out as much moisture as you can from both the potatoes and the sauerkraut before mixing with the other ingredients.

Sauerkraut & Potato Fritters

shopping list —

• 12 oz grated potatoes

• 6 oz sauerkraut

• 1/4 cup flour

• 2 eggs

• scallion, sliced

• 2-3 tsp salt

• black pepper

• canola oil or garlic oil for frying

equipment —

• cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel

• 1 small mixing bowl

• 1 large mixing bowl

• sauté pan or cast iron pan
  

steps —

1. Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the potatoes and sauerkraut in either cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel.

2. In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour and eggs until smooth. Add the salt, pepper, and scallion. Pour the egg and flour mixture into the potatoes and sauerkraut and mix until combined. The mixture should form well and hold together. If the mixture is too wet, add more flour. Too dry, add a little more egg.

3. Form fritters with your hands to desired size and thickness. Test fry a fritter to check the seasoning.

4. In a cast iron or sauté pan over medium heat, add a good amount of canola oil to coat the bottom. Fry the fritters in batches until golden brown and crispy, allowing the oil to reheat after each batch — the fritters should sizzle as you drop them in.

5. Season the fritters with a sprinkle of salt as soon as they come out of the pan. Allow them to rest on paper towels or on a rack on a sheet tray to drain any excess oil. Serve with desired dipping sauce, either crème fraîche, sour cream, or apple butter.

This recipe was developed for Paris Dining Club by Jared Ingebretson.