Potthucke

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Box grater or food processor with fine grating disk
• •Clean kitchen towel or muslin for squeezing potato
• •Heavy loaf tin or small Dutch oven

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the potatoes

   Peel the first kilo of potatoes, cut them evenly, and boil them in salted water until they fall apart when pressed. Use floury potatoes, not waxy ones; floury potatoes dry out and mash clean, while waxy potatoes stay slick and make the loaf heavy. Drain them well, mash them, then spread them on a plate to cool so the eggs don't cook when they go in.

2. 2

   Brown bacon and onion

   Cook the diced bacon in a pan until the fat runs and the edges colour, then add the onion and cook until soft but not scorched. The fat carries the onion through the potato, and raw onion would weep in the loaf and leave harsh patches. Scrape the pan well. The browned bits belong in the bowl, not in the sink.

3. 3

   Grate and squeeze

   Grate the second kilo of potatoes finely into a clean cloth set over a bowl, sprinkle with a little salt, and squeeze hard until the potato feels almost dry. Let the liquid sit two minutes, pour off the brown water, and keep the white starch settled at the bottom. That starch goes back into the batter because it binds; the water stays out because it would make the loaf slump.

4. 4

   Mix the batter

   Heat the oven to 180C. Mix the cooled mashed potato, squeezed raw potato, saved starch, bacon and onion, eggs, flour or potato starch, marjoram, nutmeg, pepper, and salt. Mix until it holds together, but don't beat it smooth; a little texture gives Potthucke its proper crumb. Taste a pinch by frying it in the bacon pan, because raw potato batter lies about salt.

5. 5

   Bake the loaf

   Grease a heavy loaf tin or small Dutch oven with lard, butter, or bacon fat, then press in the potato mixture and smooth the top. Bake for 70 to 80 minutes, until the top is browned, the edges pull slightly from the tin, and a knife pushed into the centre comes out without wet batter. Runter mit der Temperatur if the top darkens too fast; the middle must set before the crust gets bossy.

   A heavy pot gives the best crust because it holds steady heat against the potato. A thin tin works, but line it well and expect a paler edge.
6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Let the Potthucke rest at least 15 minutes before slicing, because the starch needs time to settle or the first slice tears. Serve it warm with applesauce, mustard, or a sharp salad. For the best part, chill the rest overnight, slice it thick, and fry the slices in bacon fat until both faces are crisp and brown. Weggeworfen wird nichts.

Chef Tips

• •Use floury potatoes for both parts of the dish. The boiled potato gives structure, and the raw grated potato gives the loaf its close Sauerland texture; with waxy potatoes, you get a rubbery block.
• •Don't skip squeezing the grated potato. Potthucke is baked, not boiled in its own water, and the crust only forms when the excess moisture is gone.
• •Save the potato starch from the squeezed liquid. Pour off the brown water and keep the white paste at the bottom; that's the binder the potato gave you for free.
• •Bacon is traditional in many homes, but the dish can stand without it. Use butter or lard and add a little more onion, and serve something sharp beside it so the potato doesn't sit flat.
• •The next-day slices are the argument for making a full loaf. Fry them slowly in a little fat so the inside warms through before the outside burns.

Advance Preparation

• •Bake the Potthucke up to two days ahead, cool it fully, cover it, and refrigerate it. It slices more neatly once cold.
• •For serving later, cut 2cm slices and pan-fry them in bacon fat, lard, or butter over medium heat until browned on both sides and hot through.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 300g)