Crispy Potato Pancake with Spring Greens: The Secret is Salted Leaven!
A delightful recipe for a crispy potato pancake topped with spring greens, made using salted leaven to remove potato starch for an extra crunch.
We’ve made a potato pancake topped with vibrant spring greens and edible flowers, abundant this season! This potato pancake recipe is simple, but when you shred the potatoes and pan-fry them with fresh spring greens, it becomes a wonderfully delicious dish. The use of salted leaven (also known as ‘so-geum kkoji’) is a key technique to naturally extract potato starch, resulting in an incredibly crispy texture without any added flour. Enjoy the taste of spring with this beautiful and flavorful potato pancake!
Ingredients- 1.5 medium potatoes
- 1 Tbsp salted leaven (or 1 tsp regular salt; turmeric salted leaven adds extra umami and flavor)
- 5-7 sprigs of spring greens or edible flowers (e.g., chwinamul, coreopsis, canola flowers, hottonia, dandelion leaves, oak leaf, etc., as per your preference)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare your spring greens and edible flowers. I’ve chosen flowers and greens from my own garden that were grown without pesticides: coreopsis, canola flowers, hottonia, zanthoxylum leaves, dandelion leaves, oak leaves, and chwinamul. If you don’t grow your own, fresh spring greens from the market will work beautifully.
Step 2
You’ll need about 1.5 medium-sized potatoes for this potato pancake. The size of your pancake will depend on the amount of potato you use, so keep that in mind.
Step 3
Gently wash the prepared spring flowers and greens. If they were grown organically at home, a light brushing to remove dust might suffice. For store-bought greens, rinse them thoroughly under running water.
Step 4
Wash the potatoes thoroughly and then shred them thinly and evenly. Using a mandoline slicer will help you achieve uniform, fine shreds, which leads to a better taste and texture. Consistent shred thickness ensures even cooking.
Step 5
Place the 1.5 shredded potatoes in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of salted leaven. Gently toss to combine and let it sit for about 5 minutes. If you have turmeric salted leaven, it will add a lovely umami flavor and a subtle golden hue. If not, regular salt (1 teaspoon) can be used as a substitute. Salting the potatoes helps to draw out moisture and concentrate the starch.
Step 6
When you first mix the potatoes with the salted leaven, you won’t see much starch, but…
Step 7
…as time passes, moisture will be released from the potatoes, and a sticky potato starch will start to form.
Step 8
Pour this starchy liquid into a separate bowl and let it rest for another 10 minutes. You’ll notice that the liquid separates into a clear top layer and a thick, white potato starch sediment at the bottom. Carefully pour off the clear liquid and reserve only the settled potato starch. This starch is the secret to achieving that wonderfully crispy texture!
Step 9
Now, heat a pan over medium heat. Spread the shredded potatoes thinly in the pan and sprinkle the reserved potato starch in between the shreds. Pan-fry until golden brown. This method allows you to create a crispy potato pancake without any flour, utilizing the natural starchiness of the potatoes. The key is to maximize the use of the potato’s moisture and starch.
Step 10
Once you’ve placed the potato shreds in the pan, gently press down on the top to help them cook evenly. Let one side become nicely golden brown, then…
Step 11
…carefully flip the pancake. You’ll see that the first side has already turned a beautiful golden hue.
Step 12
Arrange the prepared spring greens and edible flowers attractively on top of the cooked potato pancake. You can pile on chwinamul generously, or add colorful edible flowers for a more visually stunning presentation. Feel free to customize with your favorite spring vegetables.
Step 13
After adding the greens and flowers, flip the pancake one last time. This quick flip helps the greens to lightly cook and meld with the potato pancake.
Step 14
Be careful not to burn the greens as you flip. Immediately after the final flip, carefully transfer the potato pancake to a serving plate. Enjoy this warm, crispy potato pancake right away to fully savor the fragrant spring flavors, the savory potato, and the delightful crunch!
