Not-so-secret potato cake recipe

I learned how to make potato cakes form watching my grandma the one time she showed me, and I remembered the basics of the recipe. While she didn’t leave a specific written recipe, I remembered the ingredients and learned to cook by sight and gut feelings. Before I made them by myself, I was a bit daunted by the thought of cooking a recipe that was not written.

After speaking to several people who make potato cakes, I have come to the conclusion that I make them differently than others. While some take the healthier route and bake them, I enjoy fried potato cakes that look like salmon cakes.

Below is the recipe that I use.

Ingredients needed:

• Potatoes

• Mayonnaise, butter and/or milk (cream cheese is also good)

• Salt and pepper

• One or two eggs

• Flour (all-purpose doesn’t rise as well)

• Grease or canola oil

Instructions:

• Boil and mash the potatoes

• Add the mayonnaise, butter etc.

• Mix well and season to taste, smoother is better but I usually make the mash potatoes for dinner then cook the leftovers.

• Once you have as much as you’re going to make, add one egg and mix. If cooking a lot, add a second egg.

• Add the flour until the mix can be made into patties and will stick together easily.

• Heat the oil or grease, personally I heat it on high in a cast-iron pan; however, that might not be good for metal pans.

• Place a few patties in the oil, leaving enough room to flip the patties.

• Flip them regularly and cook thoroughly. Sometimes they will be a nice golden brown.

• Check to see if fully cooked to prevent salmonella from the raw eggs.

• Let them cool and serve.

The potato cakes can be made from leftover mashed potatoes or cooked as a starch for a meal. One good thing is that potatoes are gluten-free, and the flour can be exchanged for a gluten-free alternative, so this can be enjoyed by plenty of people.