Easy+Potato+Cakes



It's a winter tradition in my family to make a little extra mashed potatoes so that the leftovers can be converted into easy to make potato cakes the next day. My mother learned this recipe from her father Timothy Shields who probably learned it from his mother Katherine Shields. It's one of those passed along recipes that's never been written down so I decided to do it this Christmas in honor of a grandfather I never met but who was a fiddler and an adventurer. Here t'is -

2 cups of mashed potatoes 2 eggs gently whisked 2 cups grated raw potato up to 1/2 cup milk as needed to make a pancake-thick batter 2 tbsp real butter for mixing into potatoes a good pinch of salt- pepper to taste a bit more than 1 cup self-rising flour (otherwise, if you use all-purpose flour, add baking powder and salt) 2 strips of bacon or 2 tbsp real butter to well-coat bottom of frying pan (for frying the potato cakes) (you can add grated onion if you like the taste of potatoes and onions- more like a hash-browns flavor)

Melt 2 tbsp butter gently (don't overheat) before stirring into mashed potatoes along with the salt. Stir in eggs and raw potato. Add a little less than 1 cup of flour to potatoes and mix thoroughly in bowl. Add milk sparingly to create a thick batter. Heat oil or cook bacon in frying pan(cast iron is best) until the fatl sizzles (you can sprinkle a little water off your finger tips to test whether it's hot enough- it should sizzle and pop!) Drop potato batter (about 1/3 cup) into frying pan. Reduce heat and cook on each side until golden brown. Serves like pancakes- butter and/or syrup if you like sweets- for breakfast or for supper with apple butter, sauce, or sauteed apples.