Bramboráky
Czech potato pancakes with garlic and marjoram, fried thin until the edges go lacy. Eaten with the fingers while hot.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Raw potatoes are grated fine, squeezed of their water, and mixed with flour, egg, crushed garlic, marjoram, salt and pepper into a loose batter. Spoonfuls go into hot fat and are spread thin, fried until the edges go brown and lacy, then flipped once. They are eaten hot from the pan, with the fingers, with a glass of milk, or served next to roast meat and sauerkraut. The garlic and marjoram are what make them Czech. They are thinner and more aggressive than a Swiss rösti and more seasoned than a latke, and a batch of eight disappears before you have finished frying.
What you'll need
9 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Potato, floury, peeled1 kg
- Wheat flour80 g
- Egg2
- Garlic, crushed to a paste with salt4 clove
- Marjoram, dried, rubbed between your palms9.9 ml
- Salt7.4 ml
- Black pepper2½ ml
- Milk, to loosen if needed (optional)50 ml
- Neutral oil, for frying100 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Grate the potatoes on the fine side of a box grater into a bowl. Tip into a clean tea towel and wring out as much liquid as you can. Return to the bowl.
12 min
Watch: Work quickly. Grated potato browns within minutes; the egg and flour slow it down once they are in.
Step 2
Mix in the egg, flour, garlic, marjoram, salt and pepper. The batter should drop from a spoon but not run. Add a splash of milk if it is stiff, a spoon of flour if it is wet.
3 min
Step 3
Heat 5 mm of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Drop in heaped tablespoons and spread each one thin with the back of the spoon to about 10 cm across.
2 min
Step 4
Fry 3 to 4 minutes until the edges are brown and lacy, flip and fry 2 to 3 minutes more. Drain on paper and keep frying in batches, adding oil as needed. Eat as they come.
20 min
Tip: Thin is the point. A thick bramborák is raw in the middle and soft outside.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 522 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 60.1 g
- Fat
- 26.7 g
- Saturated fat
- 3.4 g
- Fibre
- 6.2 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 731 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Wheat
- Eggs
- Vegetarian
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.
Substitutions
Vegetable oil → Lard
The original fat. Crisper and better. Not vegetarian.
Tips
- Marjoram, not oregano. They are cousins, but oregano makes these taste Italian.
- A spoon of sauerkraut mixed into the batter is a legitimate Moravian variation.
History & culture
Pub starter, Christmas market snack, grandmother's Saturday lunch. Every region has its own name: cmunda in South Bohemia, vošouch around Plzeň, strouhanec elsewhere. In Moravia and the Highlands they get stuffed with sauerkraut or smoked meat and become a meal. In Prague they are sold in paper at outdoor markets with a beer.
Potatoes became a Czech staple only in the late 18th century after famine years. Bramboráky followed as a way to stretch a few potatoes with flour and fat into something hot and filling. The same idea exists next door as Slovak zemiakové placky and Polish placki ziemniaczane; the marjoram is the Czech signature.
Traditional — Fried in oil here; lard is the traditional fat and tastes better, if you eat it.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Bramboráky take?
45 min all in — 20 min prep, 25 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 portions. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Eggs. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Frying pan, Mixing bowl, Tongs.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1½ tsp.
What can I use instead?
Vegetable oil → Lard. The original fat. Crisper and better. Not vegetarian.
What should I watch for?
Work quickly. Grated potato browns within minutes; the egg and flour slow it down once they are in.
Any tips from this recipe?
Marjoram, not oregano. They are cousins, but oregano makes these taste Italian. A spoon of sauerkraut mixed into the batter is a legitimate Moravian variation.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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