Ingredients for Potato Fritters (Patates Mücveri)
- 3 medium potatoes
- 1 water glass (about 200 ml / 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) kaşar cheese, grated
- 1 egg
- Flour, as needed
- 1 dessert spoon (about 2 tsp) salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 water glass (about 100 ml) vegetable oil
How to Make Potato Fritters (Patates Mücveri)
Peel and wash 3 medium potatoes, then grate them into a bowl. Add 1 egg, 1 water glass of grated kaşar cheese, 1 dessert spoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and flour as needed, then mix well. Using a spoon, scoop portions of the mixture into a wide pan with 1/2 water glass of heated vegetable oil. Press down with the back of the spoon to flatten and fry until golden and crispy.
Cooking Tip
You can also add a handful of chopped parsley if you like.About This Recipe
Although the exact origins of this versatile underground crop are not fully known, it is believed to have existed for 8,000–10,000 years. In his 1999 article "How the Potato Changed the World's History," renowned historian William H. McNeill argued that the potato, which arrived from the American continent in the 1770s, saved northern Europe — then battling famine and hunger — from collapse, helped it flourish, and paved the way for the founding of today's modern states.
What caused the great famine in Ireland between 1845 and 1852, claiming the lives of 1 million Irish people, was a catastrophically poor potato harvest. A blight caused by a virus also drove approximately 1 million people to emigrate to America. The Ottoman Empire came to Ireland's aid during that period, but officials responded with, "You cannot send us more aid than our own queen," and refused to accept most of the potatoes that were sent.
Research shows that the average person eats 33 kilograms (about 73 lbs) of potatoes per year. Belarusians, however, consume 181 kilograms (about 399 lbs) of potatoes per person per year — that's an average of half a kilogram a day. The idea of frying potatoes in oil originated with the Belgians, but it was America that introduced the concept to the world as "French fries." The first president to bring French fries into the White House kitchen was Thomas Jefferson, who served from 1801 to 1809.
America invented the potato peeling machine in 1920, and the potato swiftly became the queen of fast food. But is it only the queen of fast food? Of course not. As a main dish, in salads, as mashed potatoes, sautéed, in börek (savory layered pastry), or in bread rolls — it reigns supreme in every dish it graces. Today we've prepared a Potato Fritter (Patates Mücveri) that will rival our Three-Vegetable Fritters and set a new standard for our Fritter recipe. Enjoy!
