Margarita's International Recipes

Finland

Silavakakut Bacon Potato Pancakes I don't know about you, but when I think of Finland "good food" is not what pops into my mind. Actually for some reason when I think of Finland and food at once, I get an image of a seal - which is not really all that appetizing. But be that as it may, after making this recipe I am ready to reconsider my non-views on Finnish food. It was really good. Silavakakut are potato pancakes made with mashed potatoes and flours, consistency wise they are like a very fluffy pancake, I don't know that you would recognized the mashed potatoes as such. The bacon, well, it's bacon, and really I don't need to say more. I followed this recipe very closely, though I increased the bacon so there would actually be enough for the pancakes after everyone has gone through the kitchen and grabbed some claiming it's just one bite. The key to making these pancakes is wetting your hands before you shape each pancake. If they are not dripping, then the dough will stick to your fingers. In Scandinavia, they serve this recipe as a light lunch - though unless you want to eat them all you may want to accompany it with a big salad. If you are serving more than a couple of people, you may want to double it anyway - leftovers microwave beautifully. Bacon Potato Pancakes Ingredients 2 lb potatoes 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup all purpose flour 2 tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. honey 12 oz bacon, chopped 4 Tbsp. butter Instructions Put a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Peel the potatoes and quarter them. Put in the boiling water and boil until soft, about ten minutes. Meanwhile heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring, until it's lightly browned. Remove from the heat and reserve. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the pot and place them in a large bowl. Mash them carefully. Add the eggs, flour, salt and honey and mix very well. Wet your hands thoroughly, grab a chunk of dough and roll it into ball with your hands. Press in the middle with your thumb making a hole. Fill it with bacon and then cover with the rest of the dough. Set on a plate and flatten with a wet spatula. Repeat until all the dough is used. Heat half the butter on a skillet over medium heat. Once melted, carefully add the pancakes and cook until they are brown, flip and repeat. Keep an eye on the pancakes so they don't burn. Add more butter to the pan as needed. Adapted from a recipe in Ulla Käkönen's Natural Cooking the Finnish Way Finnish Recipes | Margarita's International Recipes | E-mail