Potato-leek pancakes with sour cream and chives

We served this as a side with steaks of the grill when Mike and Lauren visited in May.  Tasty.  Fried. Goodness.  We used duck fat, speaking of tasty fried goodness, and that was fun in itself.

Make them small, around two inches in diameter, and serve around three per person. You could fancy them up a bit with smoked salmon, roasted tomatoes or peppers, or even caviar.

Serves 6.

INGREDIENTS

2 large russet potatoes

1 leek, white and light green parts only, sliced into thin circles and rinsed

1 teaspoon salt

½ to ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

2 to 3 tablespoons butter; duck or goose fat; butter and olive oil combined; or vegetable oil

½ to ¾ cup sour cream or crème fraîche

½ bunch chives, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

Peel and grate the potatoes, and put them into a bowl of cold water.  Drain the potatoes and squeeze out the excess water.  Pat the leeks dry.  Mix the potatoes and leeks together with the salt and pepper.  In a large cast-iron or nonstick pan or griddle over medium high heat, melt enough of the butter.  Working in batches, place small portions (about two tablespoonfuls) of the mix in the pan and press with the back of a spatula to flatten.  Add more butter as needed to keep the pan greased.  Cook until golden brown and the underside, then flip and cook the other side until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side.

To serve, dollop the sour cream or crème fraîche on top of the cakes, top them with chives, and sprinkle with pepper.