The Incredible Edible German Potato

Thanks to a post by Sandra at the German Language Blog, the German Kartoffelsalat with its incredibly versatile potato got some attention.

Sure Sandra was only talking about “German” potato salad; but there are a bazillion other recipes that calls for this pantry staple. How could there not be, Germans eat an average of 70kg of them a year.

Potatoes are eaten with just about anything in German cuisine, although what (and how) might be a regional thing.

For example, potato pancakes are served throughout the country; but the buttermilk variety are primarily made (and eaten, ha-ha) in Saxony’s Ore Mountain region.

Also made in Saxony (and Saxony-Anhalt) is Sauerkrautpuffer, another type of potato pancake made with (as its name suggests) sauerkraut. It also has a dash of cayenne pepper in there for extra zing. :-)

I’m a big a fan of potato pancakes as well as potato soup (Kartoffelsuppe). You’ll find all kinds of yummy goodness in a bowl — carrots, bacon, celery.

Great, now I want some. ;-)

In all fairness, and going back to Sandra’s topic, I should bring up potato salad (Kartoffelsalat). It’s not uncommon throughout Germany to find everything in the salad except the kitchen sink. Depending on who’s making it, you’ll get potato salad with either mayo or vinegar, cabbage or bacon, or cucumbers or leeks.

As if something made with mayo is the healthiest choice, wait until you try Kroketten. This potato recipe calls for frying up mashed potatoes until a they’re golden and crispy. This dish is usually served as a side-dish for some saucy meat dish, but ain’t that another blog altogether…

Not a heart healthy choice, but OHHHHHH so delicious.

I don’t want to leave out Kartoffelklöße, a potato dumpling that’s popular in Bavaria, Thuringia, and the Rhineland. The trick is not to leave them to chill in the fridge for longer than 4 hours, otherwise they’re too “moist.” When cooked (thrown into salted water) they float to the top. This way there’s no overcooking. How easy is that?

So, in case I’ve left you hungry, here’s a recipe for the Sauerkrautpuffer (thanks to our friends at GermanFoodGuide.com):

Sauerkrautpuffer

1 – 1 1/2 lbs Potatoes
8 oz Sauerkraut (ready-made in a glass jar or can)
2 Eggs
1 tablespoons Bread Crumbs
1 tablespoon Flour
Salt
Fresh Pepper
Pinch of Sugar
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
Oil or Butter for frying

Wash & peel, then shred the potatoes into a bowl. Drain potato juice. Mix in the Sauerkraut, eggs, bread crumbs, and flour. Add seasoning to taste.

Heat oil or butter in a frying pan. Using a large spoon, add spoonfuls of batter to the pan forming pancakes. Brown on both sides. Remove from oil and allow to drip on paper towels briefly. Serve hot.

© Copyright German Food Guide

If you make these, give me a shout and let me know how they turned out!

—Marcus