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1
Peel the potatoes, immediately immersing them in very cold water as you finish each one.
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2
Remove the potatoes from the water.
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3
Grate the potatoes and onion with a food processor fitted with the grating blade.
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4
Don't press too hard on the potatoes going in -- just enough to get them through.
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5
Transfer the potatoes and onion to a fine-mesh strainer; squeeze out all the water into a bowl.
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6
Let the potato starch settle, then pour out as much water as possible, leaving the starch in the bowl.
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7
Add the potato-onion mixture to the bowl and mix in the egg, flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.
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8
Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet with a thin layer of vegetable oil over medium heat.
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9
Scoop large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the pan and flatten them out (thin pancakes yield crispy ones).
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10
Fry until golden on the bottom, then gently flip and fry the other side, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
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11
Drain on paper towels.
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12
(If you have to wait to serve, re-crisp them on a baking sheet lined with clean paper towels in a 350 degrees F oven.)
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13
Serve with applesauce, or try my family's favorite toppings: My great-grandmother put cinnamon in applesauce to serve with hers.
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14
My grandfather loved his with heaps of cold sour cream.
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15
My grandmother served them with poached pears.
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16
My mother tops them with tart, chunky homemade applesauce.
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17
My brother, Willie, loves his plain with sugar.
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18
My stepfather, Ronnie, loves his with ketchup -- but I wouldn't brag about that!
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19
Photograph by Andrew Mccaul
