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If there’s one thing that German cuisine is great at, it’s potatoes. No matter where you’re eating in Germany, there’s a potato on the plate. They are often simply prepared and served as a side to soak up gravies while providing a filling starch, but that doesn’t mean they’re given any less attention and care when it comes to preparation.
Take bratkartoffeln, for example. They’re the German equivalent of cottage or home fries and are one of the most common potato sides all over the country. And for good reason.
What Are Bratkartoffeln?
Bratkartoffeln translates to “fried potatoes” and are most similar to the cottage or home fries that we’re familiar with in the States. To make them, you simply need potatoes, vegetable oil or clarified butter, and an onion.
As is often the case with the simplest dishes, bratkartoffeln recipes vary so much from region to region, family to family. Each slight variation claims to be the best, the crispiest, the most like “grandma used to make.” Here are a few options depending on your personal preference:
- Peeled or unpeeled: Many German recipes for bratkartoffeln call for peeling the potatoes, but if you’re using small to medium potatoes this isn’t necessary.
- Boiled or steamed: To cook the potatoes, you can boil them in a pot of water before frying or you can cook them directly in the frying pan, covering them and letting them steam with a little bit of water until tender all the way through. Both options are delicious, but I found you get more consistent results with boiling them first.
- Oil or butter: As their name implies, bratkartoffeln are fried. To fry the potatoes, you need a high smoke point oil like canola or grapeseed, but you could also use ghee or clarified butter for a richer flavor. In this recipe I wanted to get the best of both worlds, so I fried the potatoes in oil and then added some butter at the end for flavor.
- Bacon and herbs: Lots of recipes for bratkartoffeln include bacon or end with a sprinkle of fresh parsley, but both are optional.
The Best Potatoes To Make Bratkartoffeln
No matter how you choose to cook German cottage fries, the type of potatoes you use will be the same. Bratkartoffeln are always made with waxier potatoes like Yukon gold, yellow, fingerling, red, or baby potatoes.
You want to use waxy potatoes instead of floury potatoes (like russet) because they have a low starch content, allowing them to hold their shape as they’re fried and get crispy without crumbling.
The Number One Rule for Making Great Bratkartoffeln
The key to great German cottage fries is achieving a crisp, fried exterior on every single potato. There’s only one way to do this: each potato has to have direct access to the surface of the frying pan.
That means that you will likely have to fry your potatoes in batches to let each slice get golden on both sides. Frying in batches might seem like something you can skip and get by without, but I promise you it’s not worth it here—your bratkartoffeln will suffer otherwise!
What To Serve With German Cottage Fries
Boil the potatoes:
After scrubbing the potatoes, add them to a large pot of cold water. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, then test with a paring knife; the knife should easily poke through to the center of the potato without too much effort.
When done, drain well into a colander set in the sink. Carefully (because they’re still hot) slice into rounds between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick.
Fry the potatoes:
Add the oil to a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add as many of the potatoes as you can in an even layer and let cook on one side until golden brown, 4 to 7 minutes. Flip them and let cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the golden brown potatoes onto a large plate and cook the remaining potatoes until they’re all crisp on both sides, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
Finish and serve:
Add the cooked potatoes back into the pan and add the onion, bacon, and butter. Season with salt and pepper and let cook until the onions are softened and the bacon is slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Leftover bratkartoffeln will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a frying pan with a little vegetable oil until hot all the way through, about 10 minutes.
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