Potato and Egg Fritters with Tomato
- Savory
Golden shallow-fried potato and egg patties with a crisp edge and a soft, savory center, served with a quick warm tomato spooned over the top.
- Total
- 45 min
- Prep 20 · Cook 25
- Serves
- 3
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Pan-frying · Simmering
Instructions
-
Peel the potatoes and boil them in a large pot of water until a knife slides in with no resistance, about 15 minutes. Drain in a colander and let them steam dry for 5 minutes.
~20 min
Letting the drained potatoes steam dry removes surface moisture so they mash fluffier and absorb the egg and flour without turning gluey.
Let the boiled potatoes steam dry in the colander before mashing. Dry potato absorbs the egg and flour better, so the fritters hold together in the pan.
-
While step 1 cooks
While the potatoes boil, coarsely grate the tomatoes on the box grater, discarding the skins, and set them aside in a bowl.
~5 min
-
Press the warm potatoes through the grater or mash them in the large mixing bowl. Stir in the eggs, flour, 0.5 tsp of the salt, the black pepper and 2 tbsp water until you have a thick, scoopable mixture.
~5 min
Warm potato and a thick, scoopable mix bind better; too much water makes the patties slack and prone to breaking in the pan.
-
Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in the non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Scoop in 6 patties about 8 cm wide and 1.5 cm thick, flatten them slightly, and fry until deep golden and crisp underneath, 4 to 5 minutes.
~5 min
Medium heat and a shallow layer of oil brown the outside gradually while the inside cooks through, giving a crisp crust without a raw center.
Pan-frying Keep the oil at a steady medium heat so the patties sizzle gently; too hot and they darken before the center sets, too cool and they turn greasy.
-
Flip the fritters and fry the second side until golden and set through, 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and the rest of the mixture, 9 minutes total for the second batch.
~13 min
Flipping only once lets the first side set and release cleanly, so the fritters stay intact instead of tearing.
Pan-frying Keep the oil at a steady medium heat so the patties sizzle gently; too hot and they darken before the center sets, too cool and they turn greasy.
-
While step 5 cooks
While the fritters fry, warm the grated tomatoes in the small saucepan over medium heat with the remaining 0.5 tsp salt until they collapse into a loose sauce, about 6 minutes. Spoon the warm tomato over the fritters and serve.
~6 min
Cooking the tomato briefly drives off water and concentrates its flavor, so the sauce clings to the fritters rather than soaking them.
Squeeze the grated tomato lightly in your hand before it goes in the pan: less water means a thicker sauce that clings to the fritters instead of soaking them.
Simmering Cook the grated tomato at a gentle bubble, stirring now and then, until it collapses into a loose sauce; a hard boil spatters and dries it out unevenly.
