Makes 6 to 8 pancakes
• 4 lbs. potatoes
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup flour
• ⅔ cup light cream
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp. salt
• fresh-ground pepper to taste
• butter
• mushroom filling
• 1½ to 2 oz. dried wild mushrooms
• 2 cups hot water
• ¾ lb. boiling onions
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 1⅔ cups sliced celery
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• salt and pepper
• approximately 1½ cups Hot Paprika Sauce
1. To make the pancakes: Peel the potatoes and soak them in cold water for 10 minutes, then grate them. Beat together the eggs, flour, and cream and stir in the grated potatoes, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper.
2. Melt about 2 teaspoons butter in a 10- or 11-inch pan and pour in about ½ cup of batter. Spread it evenly over the pan and cook for several minutes, flip, and cook a minute or two more. The pancake should be golden brown on both sides. Prepare all the pancakes in this way, adding a little butter to the pan each time, and stack on a plate, keeping them covered with a light cloth to prevent drying out.
3. Soak the mushrooms in the hot water for an hour or so. Drain them, reserving the liquid, and wash them very carefully, one by one. Slice the mushrooms in thick strips. Strain the liquid through a filter or through 2 layers of muslin.
4. Peel the onions and cut in half if large. Sauté the onions and celery in the butter in a large skillet for about 5 minutes. Add walnuts, the mushrooms, their liquid, and the Hot Paprika Sauce. Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thick and glazed, and then season.
5. To serve the pancakes: Have additional sauce and the filling ready and heated. Reheat each pancake quickly on both sides in a very hot pan. Put one pancake on each plate, spoon some filling down the middle of it, and fold over. Top with several tablespoons of Hot Paprika Sauce and serve immediately.
