Potato pancakes

Placki ziemniaczane are grated potato pancakes, fried in oil until crisp and served with sour cream or applesauce.

In Polish, placki is the plural of placek, a flat cake, and ziemniaczane means made with potatoes. Close relatives are made across Central and Eastern Europe under other names, such as German Kartoffelpuffer and Belarusian draniki, and Jewish latkes are cooked in a similar way.

What it really is

Raw potato is grated and mixed with grated onion, egg, flour and salt to make a loose batter. Spoon it into a shallow layer of hot oil and fry each pancake until the edges are golden and crisp and the centre is cooked through. Excess liquid is pressed out of the grated potato before frying, so the pancakes crisp instead of steaming. Recipes differ in the ratio of potato to flour and egg, so the texture runs from thin and lacy to thick and soft.

How it's served

• Hot from the pan, a few pancakes to a plate, with the edges still crisp.
• With sour cream or applesauce served alongside, spooned over or dipped.
• Eaten with a knife and fork, as a main course or a hearty side.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the main ingredient and the cooking method, for example "potato pancakes, fried in oil", so guests know they are not crêpes.
• Flag eggs and wheat, which comes from the flour.
• Sour cream is milk. Show it as a separate topping with its own allergen note, and say whether it is included or extra.
• State the portion as a number of pancakes, and say whether applesauce is an option in place of sour cream.
• Name the frying oil. Guests with nut or sesame allergies ask about it, so answer before they do.