Reibekuchen or Kartoffelpuffer are common street food in Germany. So they are often found at festivals and Christmas Markets. German potato pancakes or fritters are a favorite of my husband. Consequently, we often indulge in one on the rare occasion we are visiting a Christmas market together. Unlike me, he’s not a big Christmas marketgoer. Most of the time we eat them with applesauce or a creamy garlicky sauce. This German Potato Pancakes with Radish Leaf Pesto recipe has something different. Alternately, I created a sharp-tasting pesto from radish greens, garlic, and almonds.
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I always feel guilty when I hack the greens off of a bunch of radishes and toss them away. So this is one great way to use up those radish greens. No food-wasting guilt is involved. Also, I adore the spicy bitter flavor radish greens add to a homemade pesto.
Let’s talk about the flavor of this German Potato Pancakes with Radish Leaf Pesto recipe. The radish pesto is strong so you only need a small portion to pair with the pancake and the spicy flavor goes perfectly with the crunchy golden potato pancakes.
Almonds replace the pine nuts ingredient found in a traditional pesto recipe. Toast the almonds in a frying pan for some extra flavor oomph. The pesto also contains two large garlic cloves. For a less garlicky flavor, use only one. Make the pesto a few days ahead. It gives the flavors longer to work together, plus saves you time. However, this pesto also tastes great fresh. Either way, you win.
Add a dollop of sour cream alongside the pesto in this dish. A creamy contrast with the spicy pesto and the crunch pancakes is heaven in my book.
German Potato Pancakes with Radish Leaf Pesto
Ingredients
For the Radish Pesto:
- Greens from 1 bunch of radishes
- 4 radishes
- 1/4 cup chopped raw almonds
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Potato Pancakes:
- 3 lbs. Potatoes
- 1 large onion
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup clarified butter
Instructions
Make the Radish Pesto:
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Wash the radish greens and pat dry. Chop into small pieces
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Slice the radishes into rounds.
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Place the raw almonds in a naked frying pan over medium heat and roast until golden and fragrant.
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Add the chopped radish leaves, garlic cloves, toasted almonds and cheese to a food processor or blender. Add the olive oil and puree.
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Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside.
Make the potato pancakes:
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Rinse and peel the potatoes. Grate the peeled potatoes into a bowl.
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Peel the onion and dice into small pieces. Mix the potatoes and onion together.
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Mix in the eggs and sprinkle in the flour.
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Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and combine thoroughly.
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Divide the mixture into 8 portions and flatten into pancakes. Squeeze the liquid out of each pancake.
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Heat a layer of the clarified butter in a large skillet. Place a platter by the stove.
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Add the potato pancakes to the pan. If bits of the pancake scatter around the pan, use a spatula to scrape everything back into a pancake shape and flatten with the spatula. You may have to do this a few times to keep the shape. I worked with one pancake at a time, using portions of the clarified butter for each. Fry the potato pancake on both sides until golden.
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Remove the potato pancake from the pan and place on a platter. You can use the spatula but if the pancake seems too delicate, slide it onto the platter directly from the pan.
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Top with the radish leaf pesto, garnish with sliced radishes and serve.
Like this German Potato Pancakes with Radish Leaf Pesto recipe? Also, check out some of these other delicious recipes:
SAVORY ASPARAGUS PARMESAN PANCAKES
CRISPY PUMPKIN POTATO PANCAKES
HAVARTI STUFFED SPINACH PANCAKES
