Family Recipes: Potato Pancakes

So I had this idea last weekend to make something that my grandpa used to make.  These delicious, warm, simple potato pancakes.  I don't actually know if they have a real name, but its something I remember very distinctly growing up.  Since I was young when he would make these, I really didn't have a recipe in mind.  All I could remember was eating these cakey, potato-y, flour-y pancakes rolled up with melted butter and grape jelly inside just as we got home from school.

I knew left over mashed potatoes were involved.  I also knew flour had to be involved as well.  I had potatoes. I enlisted my boyfriend to hunt the flour part of the deal [unbleached, unbromated all-purpose flour to be exact .. I love upstate NY-- we have Kind Arthur flour!!].  The milk was only a few days old so I deemed it a usable staple in this recipe.

See, I spent last weekend at my boyfriend's house, which is a nice break from the study cave my apartment has become.  However, his kitchen is like cooking in a third world country.  Obviously, it is certainly much worse in a third world country, but his kitchen does lack a certain .. cleanliness and seriously lacks usable supplies. We're talking I've got rusted pans, pots with handles missing, a mysterious goopy stain on the ceiling that most certainly collects bug.  Its a bit of a mess .. I clorox as I go .. and get .. creative with what I have to work with.

Despite the unfortunate state of his kitchen, we must eat, so I set forth to fulfill my craving for Grandpa Tom's potato pancakes.  

So I've got the left over potatoes, the flour and some milk.  I'm operating under the assumption that since I remember them as pancakes, they must come from a pancake like batter.  Just a different type of consistency.

Ok so first attempt I use flour, milk and the potatoes. Thinned to a pancake-like consistency. Batter looked right.  So I sprayed the only non-stick pan in the place with some non-stick spray and dropped a few spoon fulls into the preheated pan. Which didn't go so well.. as you can see though .. I dumped it into a non-environmentally friendly bowl, topped it with butter and raspberry jelly [the only jelly in the fridge] and ate it.  It tasted the same, but wasn't the same in presentation or consistency .. so still not quite right.  

Then I enlist my mother.  I find that egg needs to be involved.  Ok, new plan.  Same batter, add egg, more flour, milk and the rest of the potatoes.  Dropped into hot pan, swirled around to thin out [sort of like making crepes, but a thicker version], flipped and filled and .. SUCCESS!

I covered the pancake with butter and more jelly, rolled it, then indulged! Tasted just as I remember.

Recipe:
1 cup of left over potatoes (I used simple russet potatoes mashed with milk, butter, salt and pepper. Note: if you're using potatoes that are already salted don't add salt to the pancake mixture, if your potatoes aren't salted, add a dash for the pancake batter)
1 cup of milk
1 egg
1-1.5 scant cup of unbleached, unbromated all purpose flour

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.  Mix so there are no lumps and the mix has the consistency of a thick pancake batter.  Drop by tablespoon full into a greased hot griddle or pan.  Smooth drop out in a circular motion to thin pancake.  Flip after 1-2 min or until side is browned slightly [you'll see the hallmark sparse brown spots].  Cook other side another minute or two or until browned slightly.  Remove pancake to platter, smother with butter and jelly [any jelly, jam, or preserve would really work, but grape jelly was always the old stand-by growing up].  ENJOY!