Your go-to finger food for the holidays

INGREDIENTS

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 small onion, minced

1 ½ cups homemade sauerkraut, drained and squeezed dry

1 egg

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon caraway seed

½ cup all-purpose flour

⅓ cup breadcrumbs

EQUIPMENT

Either a deep-fat fryer or a skillet that can hold several inches of cooking oil

Delicious as an appetizer, our classic sauerkraut-potato balls are sure to be a hit at your next cocktail party or holiday gathering. Golden brown and soft on the inside, they’re good enough that you won’t be able to help yourself from taking a third or fourth. Sauerkraut-potato balls are a fun finger food, and they can be paired with a mixed mesclun salad and served as an entree.

Step One. Take care of the potatoes

In a medium saucepan, boil the potatoes over medium-heat until they are fork-tender. Remove from heat and drain. In a large bowl, mash potatoes. Allow to completely cool before continuing.

Step Two. Mix in additional ingredients

Into the mashed potatoes, combine onions, drained sauerkraut, egg, salt, pepper, caraway, flour and breadcrumbs.

Step Three. Setup your station

In separate bowls, pour flour and bread crumbs. In a third bowl, beat two eggs.

Step Four. Prepare the oil

Heat oil to 350° F.

Step Four. Make your balls

With your hands, make a small ball of potato mixture. It should be the size of a standard meatball. Roll it in flour, coat it with egg and then roll in bread crumbs.

Step Fry. Fry the potato balls

With a slotted spoon, fry the potato balls in small batches until golden brown. It should take two – four minutes. When they are ready, let them cool on paper towels. Serve warm.

For extra flavor, you can add fresh dill or other herbs to the potato mixture. Instead of making balls, the potato mixture can be flattened into patties, and once fried, they pair well with the soft, runny yolk of a fried egg and spicy radicchio.