Saturday, February 25, 2012

Potato cakes with cheese

Cheese in a potato cake mixture may, as it cooks, cause the cakes to break up and stick to the pan. Better to lay the cheese on top, and grill it.

Use a heaped tbsp of flour for each medium (140g, say) potato. Peel the potatoes, cut them into similarly sized pieces, cover with cold water in a saucepan, add a little salt, bring to a simmer, and cook until soft. Drain, and allow to dry. Return to the pan, and mash with a hand-masher or, for a smoother result, with a food mill or potato ricer.

Stir in the flour with a little salt. Pick up the mixture by the handful, forming each into a palm-sized, flattish cake. You'll get about three for each potato. The kneading will develop some gluten, which will help the cakes to cohere.

Fry the cakes in a little oil and butter, over a low to medium heat, until brown on each side.

Put the cakes into a lined grill pan. Lay slices of cheese on top of them, and grill under a low flame until the cheese melts.

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