Deruny
Ukrainian potato pancakes: grated potato squeezed bone-dry, mixed with onion, egg and a small amount of flour, and pan-fried until lacy-edged and deeply golden. The mainstay of Ukrainian and Belarusian breakfasts and weekday dinners. Soured cream on the side.
Overview
Floury potatoes grate into cold water with a squeeze of lemon (stops browning); a wrung-dry pile of grated potato mixes with finely-grated onion, eggs, salt and a small amount of flour. Spoonfuls fry in butter or oil until each side is crisp and golden, the inside should still be tender. Eat immediately with soured cream and dill.
Ingredients
- 1 kg floury potatoes (Maris Piper, King Edward; peeled)
- ½ lemon (for the soaking water, juice)
- 1 onion (medium, finely grated)
- 2 eggs (large, lightly beaten)
- 3 tablespoons plain flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4-6 tablespoons sunflower oil (for frying)
To serve
- 200 g soured cream
- A small bunch of fresh dill (chopped)
- Crispy fried onions (optional)
Method
Stage 1 - Grate
- Set up a bowl of cold water with the lemon juice.
- Coarsely grate the potatoes into the lemon-water as you work.
- Once all are grated, drain through a sieve.
- Pile the grated potato into a clean tea towel; gather the corners; twist hard over the sink to wring out as much liquid as possible.
Stage 2 - Mix
- Tip the wrung potato into a wide bowl.
- Squeeze the grated onion through your fingers (or in a tea towel) to drain excess liquid; add to the potato.
- Mix in the eggs, flour, salt and pepper.
Stage 3 - Fry
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wide heavy pan over medium-high heat.
- Drop heaped tablespoons of mixture into the pan; flatten gently to 1 cm thick.
- Fry 3-4 minutes per side until each side is deep golden and crisp; the inside should be cooked through.
- Lift onto kitchen paper; salt lightly while hot.
- Cook in batches, adding more oil as needed.
Stage 4 - Serve
- Pile onto a platter; serve hot with cold soured cream and a generous shower of dill.
Notes
- Wring the potato bone-dry: Wet mixture gives soggy pancakes that won't crisp. The drier you can get this, the better.
- Floury potatoes: Waxy potatoes don't release enough starch to bind. Use Maris Piper, King Edward, or russet.
- Don't make them too thick: 1 cm cooks through; 2 cm gives raw centres. Spread thin in the pan.
Storage
- Best fresh; reheat at 200°C for 5 minutes to restore crisp.
- Freezes 1 month cooked; reheat from frozen at 200°C for 12 minutes.
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