Draniki (Belarusian Potato Pancakes with Sour Cream)

About This Recipe

Draniki are the national dish of Belarus and the country's defining act of culinary self-identification — to the point that Belarusians call themselves 'bulbashy' (potato people) with affection. The technique is uncompromising: raw potatoes must be grated by hand on the finest holes of a box grater, drained of their liquid (which is reserved for the starch settling at the bottom), then mixed with a small amount of onion, egg, and a tablespoon of flour, and fried in hot lard or sunflower oil until lace-edged, deeply golden, and shatteringly crisp on the outside while staying creamy inside. They are served immediately, blistering hot, with a cold dollop of smetana (Slavic sour cream), a sprinkling of fresh dill, and often a side of mushroom-and-onion gravy or shkvarki (pork cracklings). Every Belarusian grandmother claims her draniki are the best, and the differences come down to potato variety, draining time, and frying fat.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 kgstarchy potatoes (Maris Piper or Russet)
• 1 mediumyellow onion, peeled
• 2 largeeggs
• 2 tbspall-purpose flour
• 1.5 tspfine salt
• 0.5 tspfreshly ground black pepper
• 120 mlsunflower oil or rendered lard, for frying
• 200 gsmetana (Slavic sour cream) or full-fat sour cream, for serving
• 3 tbspfresh dill, chopped, for serving
• 2scallions, sliced, for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Grate the potatoes

   Peel the potatoes. Grate by hand on the finest holes of a box grater into a bowl. (A food processor's finest disk is acceptable but the texture is noticeably different — hand-grating gives the lacy edges.)

   Work quickly so the potato doesn't oxidize and grey. If it does, the draniki will look dingy though they'll still taste fine.

2. 2

   Grate the onion

   Grate the onion onto the same pile — the onion juice contains enzymes that prevent the potato from browning further.

3. 3

   Drain and save starch

   Tip the grated mixture into a clean kitchen towel. Gather and squeeze hard over a bowl, releasing all the liquid. Let the liquid stand 5 minutes — a layer of pure white starch will settle at the bottom. Pour off the liquid and scrape the starch back into the potato.

   This reserved starch is what binds the pancakes. Don't skip the settling step.

4. 4

   Mix the batter

   Return the squeezed potato and reclaimed starch to a bowl. Add the eggs, flour, salt, and pepper. Mix well — the batter should be loose but cohesive, with no free water.

5. 5

   Heat the oil

   Heat oil or lard in a heavy skillet over medium-high until shimmering hot. The oil should be 1 cm deep and at about 180°C — drop a small piece of potato in to test; it should sizzle vigorously immediately.

6. 6

   Fry in batches

   Drop heaping tablespoons of batter into the oil, flattening gently to about 8 cm rounds. Don't crowd — 3 to 4 at a time. Fry 3 minutes per side until deeply golden brown with lacy frilly edges.

7. 7

   Drain and hold warm

   Lift to a wire rack (not paper towels — they steam the underside). Keep warm in a 100°C oven while you fry the rest.

8. 8

   Serve immediately

   Pile draniki on a warm plate. Top each with a generous spoon of cold smetana, a shower of dill and scallions. Eat at once — draniki lose their crispness fast.

Variations

• •

  Draniki s myasom: stuff each pancake with a teaspoon of cooked seasoned ground pork before frying — a hearty winter dish.

• •

  Add 2 tablespoons of finely grated cheese to the batter for richer pancakes.

• •

  Lithuanian-style (žemaičių blynai): use the same batter but stuff with sautéed onion-and-mushroom before frying.

Storage

Best eaten within 15 minutes of frying. Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 2 days; reheat on a dry skillet (never microwave) for 90 seconds per side to restore crispness.

Frequently Asked Questions