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Patatnik
Grated potato and cheese cake
Patatnik (пататник): Rhodope potato cake of grated potato, onion, mint and white cheese
Up in the Rhodope Mountains around Smolyan and Chepelare, where potatoes grow better than almost anything else, patatnik is the dish every mountain inn puts on its menu. Grated potato is salted and squeezed, mixed with onion, crumbled white cheese, egg and plenty of dried spearmint (dzhodzhen), then cooked slowly in a heavy pan like a thick cake and turned once. The outside is a crisp, golden crust, the inside soft, salty and herby. Eat it hot in wedges with a bowl of thick sheep's yogurt and a tomato salad. Sirene is often made with animal rennet, so use a white cheese labelled vegetarian. The classic error is turning the heat up to hurry it, which burns the crust while the middle stays raw; it needs a low flame and patience. Chef's tip: slide the cake onto a plate, cover with a second plate and flip, then slide it back into the pan with a little more butter.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ⅝ lb potatoesfloury type, peeled and coarsely grated
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 7 oz vegetarian Bulgarian white cheese (sirene)crumbled
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp dried spearmint
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 7 oz thick plain yogurt (optional)to serve
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Method
0/7 doneStep 2: Mix the potato with 2 onions, 7 oz vegetarian Bulgarian white cheese (sirene), 2 eggs, 2 tbsp dried spearmint and ½ tsp black pepper until evenly combined.
3 minStep 3: Heat half the ⅔ oz butter and half the 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy 26 cm frying pan over a medium heat until foaming. Spread the mixture in the pan and press it flat.
3 minStep 4: Turn the heat to low, cover and cook for 18–20 minutes, until the bottom is deep golden and the edges look set when you lift them with a spatula.
20 minStep 5: Slide the cake onto a plate, cover with a second plate and flip it over.
2 minStep 6: Add the rest of the ⅔ oz butter and 1 tbsp sunflower oil to the pan, slide the cake back in, browned side up, and cook uncovered on a low heat for 15–18 minutes, until golden underneath and a knife slides through the middle without resistance.
17 minStep 7: Rest for 5 minutes, cut into wedges and serve with 7 oz thick plain yogurt.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 47 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does patatnik take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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