flipAardappelpannenkoekjes — grated potato pancakes (Hanukkah)
Aardappelpannenkoekjes — grated potato pancakes (Hanukkah)
Why this dish? The Frank family, German Jews living in Amsterdam, celebrated Hanukkah even in hiding — Anne recounts that they celebrated both Hanukkah and Dutch Saint Nicholas. Fried potato pancakes are the traditional holiday dish for Hanukkah in Ashkenazi Jewish families from Germany.
Thin pancakes of grated potato and onion, golden in the pan. Crispy outside, melting inside: a small fried luxury for a festive evening, made from everyday ingredients.
This year we celebrated Hanukkah and Saint Nicholas almost back to back, and you can't imagine what a real smell of frying means when you're living hidden. Mother and Mrs. van Pels grate the potatoes and onion, we press out the water in a cloth, and then little pancakes sizzle in the pan. You have to be quick and eat them all hot, talking in low voices so they don't hear us downstairs. On an evening like that, a crispy pancake is worth all the cakes of the world before.
- •Potatoes — several (base)
- •Onion — a small one (flavor)
- •Flour — a handful (binder)
- •Egg — one, if available (binder)
- •Frying fat — whatever we have (cooking)
- •Salt — a little (seasoning)
Aardappelpannenkoekjes — grated potato pancakes (Hanukkah)
Thin pancakes of grated potato and onion, golden in the pan. Crispy outside, melting inside: a small fried luxury for a festive evening, made from everyday ingredients.
Why this dish? The Frank family, German Jews living in Amsterdam, celebrated Hanukkah even in hiding — Anne recounts that they celebrated both Hanukkah and Dutch Saint Nicholas. Fried potato pancakes are the traditional holiday dish for Hanukkah in Ashkenazi Jewish families from Germany.
This year we celebrated Hanukkah and Saint Nicholas almost back to back, and you can't imagine what a real smell of frying means when you're living hidden. Mother and Mrs. van Pels grate the potatoes and onion, we press out the water in a cloth, and then little pancakes sizzle in the pan. You have to be quick and eat them all hot, talking in low voices so they don't hear us downstairs. On an evening like that, a crispy pancake is worth all the cakes of the world before.
Ingredients (period version)
- Potatoes — several (base)
- Onion — a small one (flavor)
- Flour — a handful (binder)
- Egg — one, if available (binder)
- Frying fat — whatever we have (cooking)
- Salt — a little (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Floury potatoes — 600 g (base)
- Onion — 1 small (flavor)
- Egg — 1 (binder)
- Flour — 2 tbsp (binder)
- Neutral oil — for frying (cooking)
- Salt and pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Finely grate the potatoes and onion, then squeeze firmly in a cloth to remove water.
- Mix with the egg, flour, salt, and pepper.
- Heat a good layer of oil in a pan.
- Drop small flattened mounds and fry 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and crispy.
- Drain on a cloth and serve immediately, piping hot.
How it was made : Fried potato pancakes (Reibekuchen in Germany, latkes in Ashkenazi Jewish tradition) are the emblematic dish of Hanukkah, the oil recalling the miracle of the holiday. In wartime, frying became a rare luxury, as oil and fat were strictly rationed.
The contemporary twist : Served with a little unsweetened applesauce, they play the sweet-salty contrast; a mini version as finger food for appetizers always works.
Sources : Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl (Het Achterhuis)
Anne Frank · Charactorium
