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This is standard store-bought potato pancake mix, from the Jewish aisle. The instructions are simple enough:

  • beat one egg in medium bowl
  • add 1 cup cold water
  • stir in the mix and let stand 5-10 minutes
  • heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan, stir the mix once more, then fry tablespoon-sized dollops of batter until both sides are golden brown

I followed the instructions pretty closely... I did let the batter sit for more like 10-15 minutes, and it was noticeably thicker, but that doesn't seem to reflect the problem I had while attempting to cook them. My pancakes wouldn't solidify, their centers remained mush, and I was making something that began to look like hash browns as I tried to flip them... but also, a very thin layer of the pancakes managed to peel off from the rest of the mush and stick to the pan, where it rather quickly became brown/blackish crust.

What am I doing wrong? Did I let the mix sit too long? Is there a quality problem with the brand I bought? Did I use the wrong kind of oil (I used canola)?

Bigbio2002
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  • These are [latke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latke) correct? – bob1 Jan 06 '22 at 08:47
  • Yes, potato latkes – Bigbio2002 Jan 06 '22 at 08:50
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    How hot was your pan, and are you using non-stick? – GdD Jan 06 '22 at 09:20
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    I agree with @GdD's suggestion that the temperature/non-stickiness of the pan are the likely issues, but it's also worth asking whether you know what latkes from a packet mix are expected to be like – you mention hash browns, but latkes are often very similar to hash browns (they are both wide categories with a substantial overlap). – dbmag9 Jan 06 '22 at 12:51
  • Did you check the expiration dates on the package? Also, brand/mix name? – FuzzyChef Jan 07 '22 at 06:40
  • Also ... how long did you cook them for, before attempting to flip them? – FuzzyChef Jan 07 '22 at 06:42

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