Salting zucchini and squeezing out the liquid before frying is the 19th-century European trick that stops soggy, pancake-ruining pancakes.
Potato and Zucchini Pancakes
Savor the mouthwatering goodness of our potato and zucchini pancakes, where tender vegetables meet gooey cheese in a delightful blend! These crispy delights are not only easy to whip up, but they also pack a flavorful punch that’s perfect for breakfast or a savory snack. Get ready to flip your way to a tasty treat that everyone will love!
Prep
35
min
Cook
8
min
Serves
6
people
Level
beginner
The Story
This spud-and-squash contraption owes its soul to Switzerland's rösti tradition and Eastern Europe's latke obsession, both colliding sometime in the 19th century when frugal farmhouse cooks realized grated vegetables plus starch equals edible genius, then some modern genius stuffed mozzarella in the middle like a potato-based culinary ambush, turning a humble Swiss-Polish pancake into something far more dangerous and cheesy.
Regional Twist
In France's Alsace region, cooks would swap the mozzarella for local Munster cheese and add caraway seeds to the farine mixture, giving these pommes de terre pancakes a funkier, more pungent Alsatian backbone that fights back against the zucchini's blandness.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 6🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1 oignon
- 1 cac de poivre (5 ml)
- 4 pommes de terre
- 1 courgetteother vegetables like carrots can be used
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- mozzarella râpé
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 3 cas de farine (45 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 cac de sel (5 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
130
Protein
6g
Carbs
19g
Fat
4g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes until cooked.
- 2
Grate the zucchini and squeeze out excess water using a cloth.
- 3
Grate the onion.
- 4
Mash the cooked potatoes while they are still hot to create a puree.
- 5
Mix the mashed potatoes with flour, grated onion, grated zucchini, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- 6
Form pancakes and place mozzarella in the center of each pancake.
- 7
Cook the pancakes in an air fryer at 180°C for 8 minutes.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Squeeze zucchini until it yields less than 10% of its original volume by weight, because zucchini is 95% water and excess moisture will steam the pancakes instead of crisping them.technique< 10% moisture retention
- ✓Mash potatoes at 65-70°C while still steaming hot because starch granules are fully gelatinized and cell walls have broken down, creating a smoother puree; cooling below 60°C causes starch to recrystallize and makes the mixture gluey.timing65-70°C optimal window
- ✓Use a 3:1 potato-to-flour ratio by weight (approximately 600g potatoes to 200g flour) because potatoes contain 18-20% starch; too much flour develops gluten and makes pancakes dense, while too little causes them to fall apart during cooking.ingredient3:1 ratio by weight
- ✓Increase air fryer temperature to 200°C and reduce time to 6-7 minutes because mozzarella melts at 130°C but requires higher ambient heat to achieve a golden crust (Maillard reaction begins at 154°C); the thicker potato mass needs 200°C+ for proper browning without drying.equipment200°C for 6-7 minutes
- ✓Let the mixed batter rest for 5-10 minutes before forming pancakes so flour fully hydrates and potato starch swells, increasing binding strength by 25-30% and reducing pancake breakage during cooking.timing5-10 minutes rest
Share this recipe
Prep
35
min
Cook
8
min
Serves
6
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Salting zucchini and squeezing out the liquid before frying is the 19th-century European trick that stops soggy, pancake-ruining pancakes.
Potato and Zucchini Pancakes
Savor the mouthwatering goodness of our potato and zucchini pancakes, where tender vegetables meet gooey cheese in a delightful blend! These crispy delights are not only easy to whip up, but they also pack a flavorful punch that’s perfect for breakfast or a savory snack. Get ready to flip your way to a tasty treat that everyone will love!
The Story
This spud-and-squash contraption owes its soul to Switzerland's rösti tradition and Eastern Europe's latke obsession, both colliding sometime in the 19th century when frugal farmhouse cooks realized grated vegetables plus starch equals edible genius, then some modern genius stuffed mozzarella in the middle like a potato-based culinary ambush, turning a humble Swiss-Polish pancake into something far more dangerous and cheesy.
Regional Twist
In France's Alsace region, cooks would swap the mozzarella for local Munster cheese and add caraway seeds to the farine mixture, giving these pommes de terre pancakes a funkier, more pungent Alsatian backbone that fights back against the zucchini's blandness.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 6🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1 oignon
- 1 cac de poivre (5 ml)
- 4 pommes de terre
- 1 courgetteother vegetables like carrots can be used
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- mozzarella râpé
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 3 cas de farine (45 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 cac de sel (5 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
130
Protein
6g
Carbs
19g
Fat
4g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes until cooked.
- 2
Grate the zucchini and squeeze out excess water using a cloth.
- 3
Grate the onion.
- 4
Mash the cooked potatoes while they are still hot to create a puree.
- 5
Mix the mashed potatoes with flour, grated onion, grated zucchini, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- 6
Form pancakes and place mozzarella in the center of each pancake.
- 7
Cook the pancakes in an air fryer at 180°C for 8 minutes.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Squeeze zucchini until it yields less than 10% of its original volume by weight, because zucchini is 95% water and excess moisture will steam the pancakes instead of crisping them.technique< 10% moisture retention
- ✓Mash potatoes at 65-70°C while still steaming hot because starch granules are fully gelatinized and cell walls have broken down, creating a smoother puree; cooling below 60°C causes starch to recrystallize and makes the mixture gluey.timing65-70°C optimal window
- ✓Use a 3:1 potato-to-flour ratio by weight (approximately 600g potatoes to 200g flour) because potatoes contain 18-20% starch; too much flour develops gluten and makes pancakes dense, while too little causes them to fall apart during cooking.ingredient3:1 ratio by weight
- ✓Increase air fryer temperature to 200°C and reduce time to 6-7 minutes because mozzarella melts at 130°C but requires higher ambient heat to achieve a golden crust (Maillard reaction begins at 154°C); the thicker potato mass needs 200°C+ for proper browning without drying.equipment200°C for 6-7 minutes
- ✓Let the mixed batter rest for 5-10 minutes before forming pancakes so flour fully hydrates and potato starch swells, increasing binding strength by 25-30% and reducing pancake breakage during cooking.timing5-10 minutes rest