Fried Potato Cakes

Potato cakes, latkes, potato pancakes, all describe the same thing: potatoes mixed with onion, eggs and flour, formed into cakes and fried in a little oil. I am kind of addicted to these things. When I go to the market in Calgary there is no way I am not going to stop at Margarita’s for their fabulous latkes with sour cream as well as take some home for “later” which often ends up much sooner than later. Oh how delicious those are.

I have different ways of making them. Sometimes I use raw potatoes, sometimes cooked, but always with onions and sometimes I play a little with herbs. Today I had cooked new potatoes in the fridge that were destined for potato salad but were not going to work for that as they didn’t hold their shape. So I thought they would make lovely potato cakes. They were firm enough to grate and then mixed with herbs from the garden, fresh onion, eggs and some flour to absorb extra moisture. I fried them in a little oil on a flat griddle and they turned out quite good. They are nice served with sour cream and some like them with apple sauce. I am more on the sour cream team.

I have used different potatoes as well. Starchy potatoes are said to produce more crispy cakes while light skinned potatoes are not as crispy but truthfully, they are good whatever potatoes you use. Traditionally you would use shredded raw potatoes but in this recipe I am using cooked potatoes that I then shred. it’s a pretty flexible undertaking so just use what you have.

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Ingredients:

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6 large potatoes, cooked

1 medium onion, very finely chopped

2 eggs

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons chives, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

Salt and pepper

Oil for frying

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Directions:

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Cook the [potatoes until tender, let cool and then peel.

Grate the potatoes into a large bowl.

Add onion, flour, chives and rosemary and mix well.

Add salt and pepper.

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Cooking the potato cakes:

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Heat up oil in a skillet or a flat electric griddle

Add oil just to cover the bottom of the griddle and heat to medium high.

Scoop potato mixture with large ice cream scoop and then press with your hands into patties.

Carefully place  the cakes, one by one, onto the hot oil and cook until golden on both sides, turning once.

As they are cooked remove them to a paper lined tray to absorb any excess oil.

Serve warm with sour cream.

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