Zrazi (Potato Cutlets Staffed with Meat)

(makes 8 – 10)

6 potatoes (1 kg)
400 g minced meat (50 : 50 chicken and pork)
70 g (one) carrot, grated
30 g (one) onion, finely diced
2 tbsp. breadcrumbs
1 egg white
1 tbsp. flour for cooking, and more for frying
200 – 500 ml oil for frying
2 bay leaves, 4 – 6 balls of pepper
Salt, freshly grounded black pepper

1 Clean potatoes and pierce each one with the point of a knife in several places. Put potatoes in a saucepan and pour cold water over, so that it covers them by 1 cm. Salt the water immediately (for 3l water 1 tsp. salt), add bay leaves and pepper. Cook potatoes over medium – low heat, until almost tender (undercook!). Rinse with cold water.

2 In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and sauté until softened, 3 – 5 minutes. Add the carrots and sauté until slightly softened, 3 minutes.

3 Add minced meat and fry for a few minutes, until the moisture evaporates. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir with a spoon until the filling has cooled down to room temperature.

4 Add bread crumbs to the filling, and combine well (for 500 g filling 2 tbsp. bread crumbs).

Peel the potatoes and mash while still warm. Let cool slightly.

5 Add egg white and 1 tbsp. flour to the mashed potatoes. Combine well first with a wooden spoon, and then with hands.

6 Moisten your hands with water and begin to form cutlets. Take a bit of mashed potatoes, form a ball, flatten it and place 1 tbsp. filling in the centre (for 150 g potato dough 75 g filling).

7 Carefully bit by bit cover the filling with the edges of the potato dough. Sprinkle a little bit with flour when done. Just before frying cover cutlets in flour.

8 In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the oil. The oil has to reach 1/3 of the height of a cutlet (for 3 big cutlets 100 ml oil). Fry for 5 minutes on one side, and 3 - 4 minutes on the other side.

9 Put on paper towels to drain the fat, and serve with sour cream while they are still warm.

My Tips:

When forming the cutlets, take a small bowl filled with cold water. Dip your hands in water whenever the dough starts to stick to your fingers. Your hands generally have to remain wet during this process.
You can also use a different meat filling in the same proportions: 200 g minced rabbit and 200 g minced turkey.
For a vegetarian filling you can use carrots with onions and bread crumbs (for 400 – 500 g filling 2 tbsp. bread crumbs). Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
Whatever the filling, the proportion of potato dough to the filling has to be 2 to 1!