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1
Peel the potatoes and grate them on the coarse side of a box grater or through the grating disc of a food processor. Transfer the grated potato to a clean cloth, gather the ends, and squeeze firmly and repeatedly until no more liquid can be expressed. Reserve the expressed liquid in a bowl.
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2
Allow the expressed liquid to stand undisturbed for 5 minutes. The white potato starch will sediment to the bottom of the bowl. Pour off and discard the grey water above it, then scrape the settled starch back into the squeezed potato. This starch is the binding agent and the guarantor of crispness — its recovery is where the dish lives or dies.
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3
Add the beaten egg, flour, minced onion, salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg to the potato mass. Mix until evenly combined. The mixture should hold its shape when pressed but not be wet or slack.
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4
Divide the mixture into flat, even cakes of 8–10 cm diameter and 1 cm thickness. Keep them uniform so they cook at the same rate.
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5
Pour lard or goose fat into a wide, heavy pan to a depth of 5 mm and heat to 180 °C. Lower the pancakes into the fat in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan. They must sizzle aggressively on contact — a subdued sizzle indicates the fat is too cool and the pancake will absorb fat rather than crust.
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6
Fry for 3–4 minutes per side. The finished side should be a deep, even golden-brown with visibly crisped edges before the pancake is turned. Turn once only.
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7
Lift each pancake onto a wire rack set over a tray and hold in a 120 °C oven — never stacked, never on paper — while the remaining batches fry. Serve within minutes of the final batch leaving the pan, accompanied by crème fraîche, compote de pommes, or smoked meats and sauerkraut.