Potato Pancakes of the World
Grate a potato, squeeze out the water and fry it, and half of Europe has a name for what comes out. Ashkenazi Jews made latkes the Hanukkah food, the Swiss made rösti one golden cake, and Germans eat Reibekuchen with applesauce. America shredded it onto the diner griddle as hash browns, then made latkes with sweet potatoes.
Classic Potato Latkes
Shredded russets and onion, wrung dry, bound with egg and the potato's own starch, and shallow-fried at 350°F into lacy, golden Hanukkah latkes with applesauce and sour cream.
Swiss Rösti
Potatoes boiled in their skins the day before, coarsely grated and fried slowly in clarified butter into one thick golden cake, flipped with a plate the Swiss way.
Rhineland Reibekuchen with Applesauce
Finely grated potatoes and onion with egg and a little flour, fried in clarified butter into thin, crisp German potato pancakes, sprinkled with sugar and served with warm homemade applesauce.
Irish Boxty
Grated raw potato and mashed potato in a buttermilk and baking soda batter with spring onions, fried in butter into soft, golden griddle boxty for an Irish breakfast.
Belarusian Draniki Stuffed with Chicken
Thick Belarusian-style potato pancakes with a hidden layer of garlicky ground chicken, fried in sunflower oil, finished in the oven and served with sour cream, applesauce and chives.
Polish Placki Ziemniaczane (Potato Pancakes with Sour Cream and Sugar)
Thin, crisp Polish potato pancakes from finely grated potatoes drained in a tilted bowl, fried by the spoonful and served the two classic ways, with sour cream or a sprinkle of sugar.
Swedish Raggmunk with Fried Pork and Lingonberries
Coarsely grated potato stirred into a milk and flour batter, fried in butter into big lacy Swedish potato pancakes and served with crisp fried pork and lingonberry jam.
Korean Gamja-jeon (Potato Pancakes)
Grated potato bound only by its own settled starch, with a little onion and garlic chives, pan-fried into crisp, chewy Korean pancakes with a soy and vinegar dipping sauce.
Diner Hash Browns
Shredded russets squeezed dry, pressed flat in browned butter and cooked until dark golden and crisp on both sides, then folded and cut into wedges, the American diner way.
Make-Ahead Hash Brown Patties
Shredded Yukon Golds rinsed in salt water, wrung dry, microwaved until they bind, pressed into oval patties, chilled and pan-fried crisp, like the freezer-aisle patty, from scratch.
Texas Potato Pancakes
The Texas German take on Kartoffelpuffer: towel-wrung russets, onion, egg and a good half cup of flour, fried in 1/4 inch of oil into big, lacy 4-inch pancakes with sour cream and applesauce.
Sweet Potato Latkes with Horseradish Cream
Half sweet potato and half Yukon Gold, with onion, a pinch of cayenne and egg, fried into orange-flecked latkes and topped with sour cream and horseradish, the American swap.
Sheet-Pan Latkes with Store-Bought Shreds
Refrigerated shredded hash browns squeezed dry, mixed with grated onion, egg and flour, and baked on a well-oiled sheet pan at 425°F, flipped once: twelve latkes, no grater and no skillet.
Scattered, Smothered and Covered Hash Browns, Inspired by Waffle House
Thin, crisp shredded hash browns scattered across a hot buttered pan, smothered with soft sautéed onions and covered with melted American cheese. Inspired by, not official.