Lefse North Dakota Potato Crepe Recipes

LEFSE(FROM NORWAY TO NORTH DAKOTA)

Steps:

• Put the whole, unpeeled potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer gently until a fork goes through the potatoes with little resistance, about 40 minutes.
• Cut the potatoes into smaller chunks and press through a ricer. If you don't have a ricer, peel the potatoes and mash with a fork or masher. Measure out 4 loosely-packed cups of riced potatoes and put in a large bowl. Heat the heavy cream, butter, sugar and salt in a small pot until the butter melts. Add the butter/cream mixture to the potatoes and mix gently. Put the mashed potatoes in the refrigerator to cool down, about 30 minutes. Once cooled completely, add the flour and work it gently into the potatoes. Do not over work the dough. Allow to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
• Take 2 tablespoons of dough and form it into a ball. Sprinkle flour on a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a very thin circle, about 1/16-inch thick and 7 inches wide. Flour the dough as necessary to avoid sticking.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Turn the parchment or wax paper upside down and gently peel off the thin circle of dough onto your hand. Place the dough directly in the heated skillet. Cook on one side until some brown speckles start to form, about 1 minute, and then flip the dough and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Transfer the cooked lefse to a plate and keep covered with a clean kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• To serve, spread butter and sprinkle sugar on a warm lefse and roll it up. If the lefse is cold, you can warm it up quickly in a heated skillet.

LEFSE

Steps:

• Peel and Cook potatoes in boiling water till done; mash with a potato masher or electric mixer, till smooth.
• Measure out two cups of the mashed potato and set whatever you have left over aside (we will only be using 2 cups of potato for this recipe, you can season the left over mashed potato and have it for dinner! ).
• Combine mashed potatoes, milk, salt, sugar, and butter to it, then then mash together again until it's all blended.
• Put your finished mashed potatoes into a sealed container and chill in the fridge till cold (about 2 hours); The mashed potatoes must be cold and then will be slightly stiff.
• Measure out your 1 1/2 cups flour; add 1/2 cup of that flour to the mashed potatoes and stir to try to incorporate.
• Again, from that 2 cups, sprinkle flour on a flat surface to keep the lefse dough from sticking to the counter; Put the chunk of mashed, floured potatoes down into the middle of the floured area; Knead it for about ten minutes, gradually incorporating another half cup of flour; After it has a whole cup of flour in it, it will feel much doughier and nothing like mashed potatoes anymore.
• Seperate dough into 8 equal pieces, and roll each piece into a ball.
• Spread more flour out onto your surface - the best way to avoid sticking is to flip the dough over every time you take a roll on the rolling pin, sprinkle a little more flour under it, and then roll the other side.
• Always keep your rolling pin well floured, too; You want really thin pieces here, absolutely no thicker than your average flour tortilla, otherwise they won't cook all the way through and will taste a little doughy - They should work out to be about nine inches diameter.
• Once you have all eight pieces rolled out, heat up your frying pan or griddle and grease it slightly only if it isn't non-stick; Flip one of the uncooked lefse into the pan and quickly unfold any creases that might have happened with the spatula; only turn lefse once, and do it when you see air bubbles forming under the lefse.
• It won't need to cook for as long on the other side, but bubbles will form again (harder to see this time, careful not to leave it on too long and burn it!) you can just pick it up with the spatula and check underneath.
• Serve warm sprinkled with icing sugar and cinnamon or with some jam.

LEFSE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook potatoes until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.
• Rice potatoes into a large bowl, continuing until you have 8 cups. Add oil, evaporated milk, sugar and salt, and mix well. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight.
• When ready to make lefse, add 2 1/2 cups flour and mix well. Divide dough into two logs if you have a lefse grill, and four if you do not. Dough should be sticky and hold together, but not so sticky it's impossible to work with; if necessary, add remaining 1/2 cup flour. Cut each log into 9 or 10 pieces, shape into small balls and place on plates in refrigerator.
• If you have a lefse grill, heat it to 400 degrees. If you don't have a lefse grill, set a wide, low-lipped nonstick pan over medium-high heat.
• Generously dust work space with flour and flour a rolling pin. Roll one dough ball in flour, then use the heel of your hand to press it into a thick disk. If you have a lefse grill, gently roll dough into a large, thin circle (if you are using a regular pan, roll into a thin circle just smaller than the size of your pan), lifting and flipping frequently so it doesn't stick; use more flour as needed. Brush excess flour from dough. Use a lefse stick to carefully transfer to grill (use a thin spatula if cooking in a pan). Cook for 1 minute, or until lefse is steaming and small bubbles appear on uncooked side. Using lefse stick or spatula, flip lefse and cook for 45 seconds or so. Place lefse on a clean dish towel and cover with another. Repeat, stacking lefse atop one another between the dish towels.

NORWEGIAN POTATO FLATBREAD (LEFSE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line an oven-safe skillet or baking pan with aluminum foil.
• Poke the potato skin all over with a knife and place on the prepared pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven until very tender and easily pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Let sit until cool enough to handle but still very warm.
• Scoop potato flesh out into a bowl. Mash smooth with the back of a spatula until there are no lumps left. You can also use a potato ricer. Add the butter and mix until it disappears. Add the salt, sugar, and cream; mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
• Mix in flour in several additions until the dough is able to be kneaded by hand. Add enough flour to form a soft, but not too sticky, dough. You need to be able to roll it out fairly thin without it falling apart.
• Wrap dough with plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
• Divide dough into 8 portions. Dust each with flour and roll out onto a well-floured kitchen towel to 1/8-inch thick, or thinner.
• Heat a very lightly buttered nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Cook the lefse in the hot pan, poking the surface lightly with a fork, until golden brown blisters form, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Stack on a plate as they're cooked and keep covered with a towel. Serve warm.