Potato Cutlets Recipe - Polish Kotlety Ziemniaczane na Sos Pieczarkowy

Potatoes boiling in pan
Norman Hollands / Getty Images
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 12 cutlets

This recipe for Polish kotlety ziemniaczane na sos pieczarkowy, literally "potato cutlets with meadow mushroom (button mushrooms as opposed to the highly prized borowiki mushroom) gravy," is from Walt Gach of Ohio.

This recipe is a good candidate for leftover mashed potatoes as long as no milk was added when mashing, or you can start from square one. These potato cakes or cutlets make a great meatless main course, side dish, or appetizer.

Ingredients

For the Mushroom Sauce:

  • 2 ounces mushrooms, dried Polish or porcini

  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced, fresh or canned; reserve liquid

  • 1 bouillon cube, vegetable or chicken base

  • Salt to taste

  • Pepper to taste

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup sour cream

For the Potato Cutlets:

  • 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed

  • 1 large egg, beaten

  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon dried dill, or 1 tablespoon fresh dill, optional

  • 1 cup breadcrumbs, dry, divided

  • 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Start the mushroom sauce: Place dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour 2 cups boiling water over. Let steep 1/2 hour. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, sauté onion in butter until caramelized. If using fresh mushrooms, add to the saucepan once the onion is translucent. Otherwise, place undrained canned mushrooms in the pan once the onion has fully caramelized.

  3. Using your fingers, lift the dried mushrooms out of their soaking liquid and add to the pan with onion. Carefully add the soaking liquid to the pan, making sure not to disturb the sediment at the bottom. Add bouillon, and salt and pepper to taste (if using canned mushroom liquid, you probably won't need to add any salt). Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered, 30 minutes.

  4. In a medium bowl, fork-blend 2 tablespoons flour into sour cream. Temper the sour cream by adding 3 ladles of hot mushroom liquid, 1 ladle at a time, and whisking until smooth. Slowly pour the tempered sour cream into the mushroom sauce, whisking constantly. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes until thickened and raw flour taste is cooked out. Keep warm.

  5. For the potato cutlets: In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes, beaten egg, 1/2 to 3/4 cup flour (depending on moisture content of potatoes), salt, pepper, and dill, if using. The potatoes shouldn't stick to your fingers.

  6. Place parchment or waxed paper on a work surface and spread with an even layer of 1/2 cup breadcrumbs. Place mashed potatoes on breadcrumbs, forming a cylinder about 12 inches long, using the parchment to roll the cylinder in the breadcrumbs.

  7. Using a wet knife, cut into 1-inch rounds. Dip each side of the cut ends in the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs so all sides are coated. Let the cutlets dry for 10 minutes before frying.

  8. Add 1/4 inch of vegetable oil to a skillet (I prefer a cast-iron skillet for frying foods) and heat over medium. Fry cutlets in batches until golden brown on both sides. Drain briefly on paper towels and serve hot with mushroom sauce on the side. Don't pour the sauce over the cutlets because it will make them soggy. Diners can mix the two on their own plates.

Source: Walt Gach of Ohio

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
316 Calories
25g Fat
20g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 316
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 32%
Saturated Fat 5g 24%
Cholesterol 32mg 11%
Sodium 362mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 4mg 21%
Calcium 50mg 4%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 316mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)