Mind of a Chef: Chef Skylar Bush’s Potato Pancakes

January 10, 2023

Jill Melton

R&D

Methi Masala or Gujarati pickle spice is one of my new favorite ingredients. A mix of fenugreek, achar, and Kashmiri Chili, it’s a mouth-tingling Indian spice often used on buttered breads like roti and paratha. I’ve been playing around with it as a hot chicken spice (because Nashville hot chicken sucks) and also using it as a green peppercorn substitute for a Gujarati steak Au Poivre.

My three essential kitchen tools:

A good knife. My go-to is a Victorinox Forschner 9-inch chefs knife. They are only about $40 and have no-slip handles.
A properly French-folded towel. Cleanliness is everything in the kitchen. And it doubles as a oven mitt.
A Microplane zester. Perfect for finely grated cheese, ginger, garlic, citrus zest and so forth.

Music to Cook By:

Father Stretch – Sunday Service Choir
Suede – Anderson Paak and Knxwledge
You & Me – MEUTE
Dear Chicago – Ryan Adams
Empty – Ray LaMontagne
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi – Radiohead

Ingredients

1 cup cold water

11 large egg, beaten

1⁄2 teaspoonsalt

3⁄4 cup dry potato flakes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 pinch each ground black pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup sour cream, for garnish

Preparation

This is a Wisconsin staple recipe as taught to me by my good friend and guitar maker Jonathan Spangler. After a night of too much indulging, these are the perfect little vessels to carry you back into sobriety.

1. Whisk together cold water, egg, and salt in a large bowl until salt has dissolved. Mix in dry potato flakes until incorporated. Stir in 1 ta- blespoon chives; season with black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.

2. Divide potato mixture into 4 equal portions and shape into pancakes.

3. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan to combine.