Estate Comforts

Potato Pancakes with Sautéed Applesauce

Name: Potato Pancakes with Sautéed Applesauce
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled cored and diced, about 2 cups; ¼ cup brown sugar; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice; 2 large russet potatoes, about 1 pound, peeled and grated; 1 medium white onion, peeled and grated; 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour; 1 egg, beaten; 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper; Canola oil; Confectioners' sugar

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The Strategy:

Grating potatoes and onions together creates the perfect rustic base for these crispy, golden-brown pancakes. Sautéing fresh apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, and five-spice yields a sweet, aromatic applesauce that pairs beautifully with the savory pancakes. Cook the pancakes in batches in a hot skillet, flattening them slightly, until they are wonderfully crispy on the outside and tender inside.

Serves: 4 | Total Time: 30 minutes till it's ready

Ingredients

For the applesauce

2 tablespoons butter
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled cored and diced, about 2 cups
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice

For the Potato Batter

2 large russet potatoes, about 1 pound, peeled and grated
1 medium white onion, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarse black pepper

For Cooking and Serving

Canola oil
Confectioners' sugar

Raw cooking ingredients for Potato Pancakes with Sautéed Applesauce arranged beautifully on a clean kitchen counter.

Instructions

Make the sautéed applesauce

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and Chinese five spice.
Cook until the apples are soft and syrupy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Keep the applesauce warm. Use a box grater, potato ricer, or shredding blade of your food processor, to grate the potatoes into a large bowl.

Make the potato batter

Grate the onion into the bowl.
Sprinkle the flour over the top.
Pour the egg into the bowl.
Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Fry and serve the pancakes

Heat enough canola oil to coat the bottom of a skillet over medium heat. Drop a medium-size ice cream scoop full of batter into the oil. Flatten the batter with the back of the scoop to form circle-shaped pancakes. Do this in batches depending on the size of your skillet.
Cook until the pancakes are golden brown on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.
Transfer to a platter lined with paper towels. Continue, using all the batter, adding more oil as needed.
Serve warm potato pancakes with a sprinkle of confectioners' sugar and a spoonful of applesauce.

Cook’s Tip

Soooooo, if you want to pretend you are on a cruise ship traversing the cool Adriatic Seas, serve these potato pancakes topped with thin slices of smoked salmon. Better yet, dollop the pancakes with a tad of sour cream, a sprinkle of fresh chives, and a pearl spoonful of caviar. It’s oh so decadent!

Home cook prepared steps for assembling and cooking Potato Pancakes with Sautéed Applesauce.

The full recipe lives in the Vault

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The Heart of the Table

These warm potato pancakes bring a cozy, nostalgic comfort to the table, filling the kitchen with the sweet scents of cinnamon and cooked apples. Serving them warm with a dusting of sugar and sweet applesauce makes breakfast or brunch feel like a special, comforting family tradition.

An appetizing, fresh serving of cooked Potato Pancakes with Sautéed Applesauce displayed beautifully on a styled dining table.

The Art of the Host

unbleached, pre-cut parchment paper sheets for clean releases
a flexible stainless steel slotted turner with a walnut handle
a hand-cut glass mixing pitcher with a diamond-cut pattern
a sleek, solid brass Japanese double jigger with inner measurement lines
a solid copper balloon whisk to perfectly aerate ingredients

Neighborly Grace

THE PRESENTATION: Arrange the golden pancakes overlapping on a warm serving platter, with a bowl of the warm applesauce in the center and a light dusting of confectioners' sugar over the top.
THE POUR: A dry, sparkling Prosecco or a hot spiced apple cider infused with a cinnamon stick.
THE VIBE: Morning Sunroom. The morning light is soft and warm as family gathers around the table, enjoying the sweet and savory pancakes in a cozy setting.

Chef’s Recommendations

The Latke-and-Brisket Plate: Beer-Braised Beef Brisket
The Sour-Cream-and-Salmon Tradition: Smoked Salmon Toasts with Scallion-Caper Cream Cheese, Pickled Radishes, and Jammy Eggs
A Cinnamon-Apple Companion: Apple Cider Donut Holes with Cinnamon Sugar and Caramel Sauce
An Indulgent Close: Swirled Cinnamon Artisan Bread

The Estate Table

Build tonight’s menu around this dish.

✦ Set the Table

Potato Pancakes with Sautéed Applesauce

Potato Pancakes with Sautéed Applesauce

The full recipe lives in the Vault

The Heart of the Table

The Art of the Host

Neighborly Grace

✨ The Gilded Swaps