Potato pancakes are a great way to elevate the humble spud if youre tired of conventional preparations like fries and mashed potatoes. The key to this tasty side dish is a crispy, crunchy outer texture, which perfectly accompanies the soft interior. If you find that your potato pancakes often come out too soggy, a lack of heat is the most likely culprit. Both the skillet and the oil youre frying your pancakes in must be the right temperature to ensure the best possible texture. To determine whether the temperature is right, add a few potato pieces to the oil and watch for the sizzle. As McCormick executive chef Hadar Cohen Aviram told First For Women, “The oil should be hot but not fuming.”
By the same token, be mindful of how many pancakes you add to the hot skillet at the same time. Even if the temperature is hot enough, overloading the pan with potatoes will quickly reduce the heat and leave subsequent batches hopelessly soggy. Along with heat, the moisture content of your raw potatoes is another important crunch factor to consider.
If you find that your potato pancakes are soggy rather than crispy, it’s likely because your skillet and oil are not hot enough. The oil and pancakes should sizzle when they hit the pan. Also, do not overcrowd the pan by trying to cook too many pancakes at once.
Reduce the moisture content for a crispier potato
The more moisture a food contains, the more issues youll experience with sogginess when cooking. And because potatoes have a high concentration of water, youll need to reduce it if you want to enjoy a crispy finished product. After shredding the potatoes to the consistency of hash browns, deposit them into a clean, dry towel or cloth. If youre making a lot of potato pancakes at one time, you may need to perform this task in batches to ensure the best outcome.
With the shredded potatoes in the cloth, begin squeezing them over your sink to do away with excess moisture. Squeeze as hard as you can, and dont hesitate to do a few rounds of squeezes to ensure you remove as much moisture as possible. Once all the shredded potatoes are thoroughly squeezed as dry as you can get them, you can add them to the hot oil as you normally would.
Perfectly Crispy Loaded Potato Cakes
FAQ
How do you keep potato pancakes from getting soggy?
Why are my potato cakes too wet?
Why are my potato pancakes mushy?
Why are my potato cakes gummy?
Why are my potato pancakes soggy?
Soggy potato cakes are usually due to not cooking the cakes long enough, crowding the pan, or not having the pan hot enough. Be sure to cook the potato cakes over medium heat, in batches to give them enough space for proper browning. Cook them 2 to 3 minutes per side or until they have a nice golden brown crust. Why are my potato pancakes gummy?
What are some of the negative effects of potatoes?
I would say that the potato itself does not have a negative side, it is another food option that we have and that has been part of our food and tradition for a long time. The problem is the way we use and prepare the potato. When we remove the husk, we already lose a good part of the nutrients and fiber. When we fry, we add a huge volume of fat and substances that are not good for our health. When we make a puree loaded with unhealthy ingredients, we lose the essential characteristic of the potato.
Why is my cake soggy?
Everything from the type and temperature of your ingredients to the precise number of minutes you leave the cake in the oven, can make a big difference in your final result. While there are a whole slew of mistakes people make when baking a cake, one of the most common complaints is that the cake turns out soggy instead of fluffy and chewy.
Why are my potato cakes falling apart?
If the potato cakes are falling apart because they are too wet it might not have enough flour. Troubleshoot this by adding more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until you get a better consistency, the mixture should be somewhat wet and will have a slight stickiness but you also don’t want it falling apart.