Irish Potato Cakes Recipe

Want to enjoy some truly amazing potato pancakes? Start off with one unexpected ingredient: leftovers. Leftover mashed potatoes notoriously do no reheat very well, so this recipe provides a great way to repurpose them. That's just what chef and recipe developer Jaime Shelbert of Wholly Nourished enjoys best about this Irish potato cakes recipe. "I love that this recipe turns leftovers into a tasty side dish that can be customized to your flavor liking," she says. 

Speaking of your liking, you can really take these Irish potato cakes in any number of ways, from the sweet to the savory. As Shelbert explains: "These parallel with your favorite Irish dish or alongside sauerkraut or any other cabbage dish. Popular toppings include sour cream, applesauce, caramelized onions, or savory jams." Frankly, these potato cakes are so tasty that you may find yourself preparing mashed potatoes just to let them cool and serve as the basis for the recipe. A better idea is just to make a double batch of mashed potatoes for dinner tonight to be assured that you have the primary ingredient needed for these cakes at the ready the next day.

As you probably guessed by now, the star of this recipe will be the leftover mashed potatoes. You'll need about 2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes (nice and cold!) to make four large cakes. You'll also need some flour, salt, an egg, some pepper, some chopped chives, and butter. "Here, I added chives," Shelbert says, adding that "any fresh herbs will work, as will sauteed onions, shredded Irish cheddar, or even bacon."

Start the recipe off by combining the potatoes with flour in a mixing bowl. Start with just ⅓ cup of flour, then add the salt and pepper and lightly mix these ingredients with a spoon to combine them. Next, make a well in the center of the mixture, crack the egg into the well, and whisk it. Fold the egg into the potato mixture. 

Now, gently stir in the chives, and add more flour to the mixture, as needed, so that it can be easily formed into patties. "I would be mindful of the amount of flour you put in the batter," Shelbert cautions. "You don't want so much flour where you lose the potato flavor." You may not have to use the entire ½ cup of flour, and that's okay!

Melt the butter in a skillet placed over a burner at medium heat. If the melted butter starts to brown before you are ready to fry, turn the heat down until you start cooking the patties.

Meanwhile, form the four patties with your hands using equal parts of the potato mixture. Press them until they are cohesive but not packed densely, then place the potato cakes into the skillet and watch for the perfect frying. "They should be just crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside," says Shelbert.

Cook the patties until they are golden brown on each side, which will take about five to seven minutes per side at that lower-to-medium heat. Don't rush it, and don't flip them more than once or twice if you can help it. Once the cakes are cooked, remove them from the pan and serve them immediately for best taste and texture.

"These are best enjoyed fresh. However, they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days," Shelbert says. That's right — leftover cakes made from leftovers will still be tasty.

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There are dozens of potato varieties out there, and this recipe only specifies that you should use leftover mashed ones. When you're making those in anticipation of using them in these cakes, always reach for starchy, baking varieties. Russets are widely available and perfect for potato cakes. Most sweet potatoes are starchy, as well, and could beget a slightly more sweet-savory version of this dish.

The starch in these type of potatoes acts as a binder in the potato cake dough and reduces the need for flour and other grain-based thickeners. This is exactly why we advise you to be cautious with your flour additions in this recipe, as the potatoes themselves will perform a similar function. If making a mash specifically for this recipe, avoid any and all waxy potatoes, such as red, Yukon gold, or fingerling. These varieties hold their shape when cooked (which is great for many applications) but don't blend into a batter as well as starchy ones. If you use them for this recipe, you might find your potato cakes falling apart in the pan as they cook.

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