Patatnik is a dish from the Rhodope Mountains made of grated potatoes, onion and cheese, baked in a tray. It needs only plain ingredients and little work. Leftovers reheat well the next day.
Ingredients
- 1 kgpotatoes
- 1 large (150 g)onion
- 200 gwhite brined cheese (sirene)
- 2eggs
- 2 tbspflour
- 1 tspdried spearmint or savory
- ½ tspsalt
- ½ tspblack pepper
- 3 tbspsunflower oil
Method
Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 200°C. Grease a tray about 25 by 35 cm with 1 tbsp of the oil.
Grate the potatoes
Peel the potatoes and grate them on the medium side of the grater into a large bowl. Grate the onion over them.
Squeeze out the mix
Squeeze the potatoes and onion by the handful, or in a clean cloth, until no more water runs out. Put them back in the dry bowl.
Add the cheese
Crumble the cheese with a fork and add it to the potatoes. Add the eggs, flour, spearmint, black pepper and ½ tsp salt, and stir until smooth.
Fill the tray
Tip the mix into the tray and level it to a layer of about 2 to 3 cm. Drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp of oil on top.
Bake until crisp
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 200°C, until the top turns golden and the edges pull away from the tray. Prick with a skewer: the potato inside should be soft.
Rest and slice
Leave the patatnik in the tray for 10 minutes to firm up. Then cut it into 8 pieces with a sharp knife.
How to serve it
Serve with cold yoghurt and a salad of sauerkraut or fresh tomatoes.
Good to know
The recipe is traditional in the Rhodopes, where potatoes and cheese are paired with local herbs and spices.
Per serving (approx.): 470 kcal · protein 20 g · fat 23 g · carbohydrates 45 g