Here's a recipe for a different kind of potato pancake. It looks like a breakfast pancake, but is oh so creamy and smooth inside. I saw it on Great Chefs one morning, and had to try it, It is soo worth it, and could be paired with anything, or fried into silver dollar sizes, and used instead of a cracker or blini for lots of yummy toppings for appetizers or fancy hor d'oeuvres (caviar, smoked salmon etc).
Potato Pancakes
1 pound potatoes
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream
To the above potato pancake recipe, I add some salt and white pepper to the potato mix. You can also add chives or other herbs and seasonings that you favor.
To prepare the pancake batter: Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until soft. Peel and put in a large bowl. Break up and mash with a wooden spoon. Mash in the flour. Mash in the egg yolks in two additions. Switch to a whisk and beat in the egg whites, again in two additions. Add the cream and whisk until the mixture is the consistency of pastry cream. Set aside.
Heat clarified butter or vegetable oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Drop the pancake batter by large spoonfuls into the hot butter; the pancakes should measure about 4 inches in diameter. Make a total of at least 4 pancakes; cook in batches if necessary. Cook until the edges of the pancakes show a little brown color, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add more butter as necessary so the pancake bottoms are immersed in butter. Turn each, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until done through.
Take off the heat. If you have extra pancakes, set aside to cool; then separate with waxed paper or parchment circles, wrap, and freeze for another use.