Why it works: Flour and potato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,355 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Potato Pancakes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the batter
Grate twelve good-sized potatoes and let them stand a few minutes, then drain the excess water.
Add the yolks of four beaten eggs, one tablespoon of flour, and a little salt to the grated potatoes.
Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth and fold into the mixture.
Fry
Flatten the mixture into pancakes on a greased griddle.
Fry the pancakes in ample grease until cooked.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Flour + potatotop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,355 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Potato + eggtop 29% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,978 recipes
Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).
Flour and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Potatoes
- Form the bulk of the pancake, and their starch helps the cakes hold together and brown.
- Eggs
- Yolks bind the mixture, and whipped whites add lightness to the batter.
- Flour
- Absorbs some moisture from the grated potato and helps the pancakes hold their shape.
The step that matters
Draining the grated potato. Grated potato releases water quickly. Excess moisture thins the batter and makes the pancakes steam instead of browning, so they can turn soggy and fall apart. Draining well keeps the batter thick enough to hold its shape in the grease.
Swap the potato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, egg):
- Arrowrootfits better
- Chivefits better
- Shallotfits better
- Potatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More potato pancakes recipes
You might also like
Potato Croquettes255 recipes
Potato Rolls78 recipes
Potato Chips53 recipes
Sweet Potato Croquettes53 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.