Patatnik is nothing more than a simple bake of potatoes, eggs and cheese. With the potato harvest in Burgas just in, now is a good time to serve it for lunch. It's lighter than a stew, but it will keep you full until dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 kgpotatoes
- 1onion
- 4eggs
- 300 gwhite brined cheese, crumbled
- 100 mlvegetable oil (divided)
- 1 tspdried mint
- 1 tsppaprika
- to tastesalt and black pepper
Method
Grate the potatoes
Peel the potatoes and grate them coarsely straight into a bowl. Season lightly with salt, stir, then drain through a sieve, keeping the liquid in a separate bowl.
Fry the onion
Chop the onion finely and fry it in 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.
Don't let the onion brown, or the batter will taste bitter.
Mix the batter
In a large bowl, mix the drained potatoes with the fried onion, crumbled cheese, eggs, mint and black pepper. Stir well until the mixture is thick and smooth.
Pour into the baking tin
Grease a round 28cm baking tin with 2 tablespoons of oil. Pour in the mixture, smooth the top with a spoon, drizzle over the rest of the oil and sprinkle with paprika.
Bake until golden
Bake in a preheated fan oven at 200C for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden and crisp and the edges start to pull away from the tin.
Let it rest
Take the tin out of the oven and let the patatnik rest for 10 minutes before cutting it into squares. This gives the cheese time to firm up, so the pieces hold their shape.
How to serve it
Serve it warm with a fresh tomato and cucumber salad.
Worth knowing
Patatnik is a classic dish from the Rhodope mountains, traditionally baked in a round metal pan under a lid covered with hot embers — a method known as baking "under the varshnik".
Per serving (approx.): 700 kcal · protein 24 g · fat 47 g · carbs 47 g