Air-Fryer Mini Potato Pancakes
Grated potato squeezed dry, mixed with egg and seasoning, formed into small palm-sized pancakes and air-fried at 200°C until the edges go lace-crisp and the interior stays tender. The Eastern European classic, made without the pan of oil.
The potato pancake — latke in Yiddish, rösti in Swiss German, draniki in Russian, deruny in Ukrainian — exists across half of Europe under different names with the same fundamental technique: grated raw potato, salted, squeezed dry, bound with egg, fried until crisp. Traditionally cooked in a hot pan with a generous slick of oil. The air fryer version uses about a quarter of that oil and produces something with most of the same qualities.
The trick is moisture removal. Grated potato leaks water aggressively — salt it for ten minutes, then squeeze hard in a tea towel. The drier the surface, the crisper the result. Some recipes call for adding flour or matzo meal to bind; this version uses just an egg and a small amount of cornflour for the cleaner version.
The photo shows them stacked between sheets of parchment: small golden pancakes with visibly lacy crisp edges, a bowl of sour cream on the side, scattered cracked pepper. The kind of side dish that's also a meal if you make enough.
Method
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01
Sweat the potato
Grate the potatoes. Toss with 1 tsp salt and let sit 10 minutes.
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02
Squeeze dry
Tip into a clean tea towel and squeeze hard over a bowl — you'll
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03
Mix
Combine squeezed potato with grated onion, egg, cornflour, chives,
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04
Shape
Scoop ¼ cup portions onto a parchment square that fits your air
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05
Air fry
Heat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Spray pancakes generously with
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06
Serve
Top with a dollop of sour cream and a scatter of chives. Apple sauce