Pierre Franey's Potato Pancakes

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Grate the potatoes into a basin of cold water, using the grating surface with large holes. (Do not grate them, however, unless you are ready to cook the potatoes.) Before cooking, drain the potatoes in a strainer.

2. Step 2

   Peel the onion and grate it on the same grating surface. There should be about ½ cup. Add the onion to the potatoes in the strainer and blend well. With a rubber spatula or your hands, push down on the potato-onion mixture to extract liquid. Put the mixture in a mixing bowl and add salt.

3. Step 3

   To prepare these pancakes it is best to use 2 or more 6-inch or 7-inch nonstick frying pans.

4. Step 4

   Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet and add ¾ cup of the potato-onion mixture. Flatten the potato mixture and sprinkle lightly with pepper. Cook about 3 minutes until the ''cake'' is browned on the bottom. Flip the cake, trying not to break up the shape. Flip the cake several times as it cooks so that it cooks through, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. Slide the cake out onto a flat surface.

5. Step 5

   Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the skillet and add another batch of the potato mixture, cooking it as before. Continue cooking the cakes, adding more oil as necessary, until all the mixture is used.