Taste of the Town: Potato pancakes, just like a reader’s mom used to make

When we moved the Taste of the Town column inside the section, one thing we added was that I’d respond to recipe searches. I’ve found a few, but lately haven’t gotten any requests from readers.

But after a discussion about restaurants that serve potato pancakes, Klaus Altemueller was moved to email me his mother’s recipe. There are nearly as many ways to prepare potato pancakes as there are German and Austrian mothers, but here is the one Altemueller’s mother favored.

POTATO PANCAKES

4 medium potatoes, washed but not peeled

1 egg

1 medium onion

½ cup flour

2 to 3 tablespoons baking soda (see note)

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 to 2 cups canola oil

Grate the potatoes into a large bowl; you want them to be almost a paste. (Altemueller says a box grater on the finest section works best, but you can use a food processor.) Press over the sink to remove excess liquid. Crack the egg over the potatoes, breaking the yolk and covering the potatoes. Grate the onion over this and also spread it out, along with its juice. Add remaining ingredients except oil.

Heat the oil, at least ½ inch deep, to medium to hot in a large saute pan. Stir the potato mixture with a tablespoon; to test the mixture, dollop a heaping spoonful into the oil. Flip the pancake when it’s golden brown and you can see oil bubbling through the pancakes. Continue frying until golden brown on the other side. If test pancake is too thin, add more flour. If you want it puffier, add more baking soda. (The inside should be soft, but cooked.) If it’s the desired consistency, continue, stirring the batter about every other pancake. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately, with applesauce.

Note: The amount of baking soda used is determined by whether you want your potato pancakes puffy or crispy; the less you use, the crispier they are.

Makes 25 to 30.

FOUND ITEMS

For Mitch G. Burns, who’s looking for bulgur wheat — “the coarse-ground, long-cooking kind,” Colleen Sams reported finding Bob’s Red Mill Bulgur Wheat with a cooking time of 20 minutes at Albertsons at 190 N. Boulder Highway in Henderson. …

For Betty Leslie, Sams found Coldstone Creamery Coffee Creamer at the same store. …

For Chuck Neverovich, who’s looking for fresh (not frozen) party rye, Colleen Reiser reported finding it in the deli at Albertsons at 1008 Nevada Highway in Boulder City.