Back in October, we went to Wisconsin Wine and Dine in Milwaukee with our friends Bob and Don. It was a great way to spend a Sunday, with lots of tastes of wine and foods and specialty libations. Being Wisconsin – I seem to recall a rather large beer area as well.
There were also some pretty interesting cooking demos (with samples of the completed dishes) that were quite fun, even if the guy hosting hit my ‘sales-weasel’ button. One of our favorite demos (and samples) was a chef from a local Irish pub who presented a cider-brined pork chop and these wonderful little potato cakes made with a mixture of mashed and grated fresh potato. I SHOULD have taken notes; but the weasel, ermmm, sales/host guy assured us that all the recipes would be emailed us ‘soon’.
My definition of a sales-weasel: too schmoozy and full of easy promises and assurances that, somehow, never quite occur as implied.
We all DID get SOME recipes from that day, not the recipes from the scheduled demos we specifically attended, but some recipes WERE emailed. Just not the ones we wanted.
Sales-weasel.
Well, All Praise da Google. I keyed in ‘Irish Potato Cakes’, and came up with a nice selection of recipes, as well as it’s traditional name. I seem to recall the version the chef did had some cider in it, or something to tie it a bit more closely to the cider-brined chops, but this recipe worked out wonderfully with baked salmon steeped in honey and soy sauce – a riff on the barefoot contessa’s Asian Grilled Salmon.
First, the boxty – with all thanks due to da Google and Mary Ellen Sweeney, BellaOnline’s Irish Culture Editor.
INGREDIENTS
•1 cup of mashed potatoes
•1 cup of grated raw potatoes
•2 cups self-rising flour*
•1 to 1-1/2 cup of milk or buttermilk – I had some buttermilk to use up, so went with 1-1/2 cup BUT – if you don’t have any buttermilk – here’s a handy substitute
•1/4 tsp salt
•1/4 to 1/2 cup of butter – I went large on the buttermilk, so kept it up with the butter
•I also added a good dash or three of dried chives to the batter; along with just a wee, tiny dash or so of Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Sauce
•Sour cream (for topping), optional
*If you don’t have self-rising flour – whisk 2-1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt into 2 cups of regular flour
Mix the mashed potatoes with the grated raw potatoes in a large bowl. Stir in the rest of the dry ingredients and 1 cup of liquid.
As the batter is mixed, add small amounts of additional milk or buttermilk until the batter is loose enough to work with.
Melt two tablespoons of butter over gentle heat. When the butter is melted and the pan heated, ladle small pancakes into the pan. Brown on both sides over medium low heat.
Slow cooking works best with this batter. It is not a dish for the impatient. Keep batches warm in a 200º oven while waiting for all to cook. Serve hot with more butter or sour cream.
We’d been livin’ kind of large with beef-laden feasts on Christmas Eve and Day, so I though some salmon in order for our Sunday dinner – and this recipe was PERFECT.
So perfect, in fact, that I’m saving it until tomorrow so it has it’s own post and table o’ contents spot.
See? I IMPLIED the salmon recipe would be provided, and so it will.
Just not today.
Sales-weasel.