Erdäpfelschmarrn

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy-bottomed skillet or cast iron pan (28cm)
• •Box grater (coarse side)
• •Wide spatula or two forks for tearing

Instructions

1. 1

   Peel and grate the potatoes

   Peel the cold boiled potatoes. They should feel firm and slightly waxy, not crumbly. Grate them on the coarse side of a box grater into long, rough shreds. Don't press hard or try to make them uniform. Some pieces will be chunky, some will be fine. That's exactly what you want. The different sizes give you a mix of textures in the finished dish: crispy edges from the thin shreds, creamy centers from the larger chunks.

   Use a waxy potato variety like Kipfler, Charlotte, or any salad potato. Floury potatoes fall apart on the grater and turn to paste in the pan. If you're in Austria, ask for speckige or festkochende Erdäpfel.
2. 2

   Heat the pan and cook the onion

   Melt about a third of the butter in a heavy pan over medium heat. A cast iron skillet is ideal here, at least 28cm across. You need the space. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it turns soft and pale gold. This takes about four minutes. If you're using caraway seeds, add them now and let them toast in the butter with the onion for thirty seconds. The kitchen will tell you when they're ready. You'll smell them.

   Caraway is traditional in Tyrolean and Upper Austrian versions of this dish. If you don't like caraway, leave it out. But if you've never tried it with potatoes, this is a good place to start. Crush the seeds lightly with the flat side of a knife to release the oil.
3. 3

   Fry the potatoes undisturbed

   Add the grated potatoes to the pan and spread them out into an even layer. Season generously with salt and pepper. Now here's the discipline: don't touch them. Let the bottom layer sit on the hot surface for four to five minutes until a proper golden crust forms. You'll hear it crackling. If you start pushing the potatoes around out of nervousness, you'll never get that crust. The Maillard reaction needs contact with the hot pan, and every time you move the potatoes you're starting over. Walk away if you have to.

   If your pan isn't hot enough, the potatoes will just sit there turning oily and sad. You want a steady, confident sizzle when they hit the surface. If it sounds quiet, your heat is too low.
4. 4

   Tear and turn

   Add another third of the butter in small pieces around the edges of the pan. Using a spatula or two forks, break the potato cake into rough, irregular chunks. Flip the pieces so fresh surfaces face the hot pan. Press them down gently. Let them sit again for another three to four minutes to build a new layer of crust. The torn edges are where the magic happens. They catch the butter, they hit the heat, and they go crisp and golden while the insides stay soft.

5. 5

   Final tear and crisp

   Add the last of the butter. Tear the pieces apart one more time into smaller, more ragged shapes. Some will be the size of a walnut, some will be crumbs. That's perfect. Toss them gently in the pan and let them fry for two to three more minutes, turning once or twice, until you have a mix of deeply golden, crispy pieces and softer, buttery ones throughout. The whole pan should look beautifully uneven. Taste for salt.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Scatter the chopped parsley and chives over the top. Serve straight from the pan or piled onto a warm plate. In Austria, this comes to the table with a green salad dressed in vinaigrette or pumpkin seed oil, a spoonful of sour cream, or a fried egg set right on top. It's good Austrian home cooking. It doesn't need anything more than it already is. Mahlzeit!

Chef Tips

• •The potatoes must be cold. Boil them the day before and refrigerate overnight, ideally still in their skins. Cold potatoes have retrograded starch on the surface, which is what gives you that crisp, golden crust in the pan. Warm or freshly boiled potatoes will stick, steam, and turn to mush. There is no shortcut for this.
• •Butter is doing two jobs here: cooking fat and flavor. If you can get your hands on Schmalz (rendered pork lard), use half butter and half Schmalz. That's how it's done in the farmhouse kitchens of Upper Austria and the Salzburg countryside. The Schmalz gives a deeper, more savory crust. The butter keeps the flavor round.
• •Don't crowd the pan. If your skillet is smaller than 28cm, make this in two batches. Potatoes piled on top of each other will steam instead of fry, and you'll end up with a soft, pale heap instead of the golden, crispy tangle you're after.
• •A fried egg on top turns this into a complete meal. Fry the egg in butter in a separate pan while the Schmarrn finishes. The runny yolk acts as a sauce when you break it over the potatoes.

Advance Preparation

• •Potatoes must be boiled and cooled a day ahead. This is not optional preparation, it is the technique. Boil them whole in salted water until a knife slides through easily, about 25 minutes depending on size. Drain, cool, refrigerate overnight in their skins.
• •The grated potatoes can sit at room temperature for up to 30 minutes before cooking. Any longer and they start to discolor. Grate them just before you're ready to cook.
• •Erdäpfelschmarrn does not reheat well. The crispy edges lose their bite. Make it fresh and serve it immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)