Potato Cakes
From Foods of the Americas Native Recipes and Traditions
This recipe was inspired by a type of potato cake made throughout the former Inka Empire, from Ecuador or Argentina. Try these cakes with a few slices of crisply fried potatoes for added texture or with crunchy fried plantains. For an experience that transcends time, serve them with peanut sauce. Peanuts and potatoes were among the earliest crops developed in South America. This recipe offers a creative solution for using leftover mashed potatoes. Makes 6 cakes
Ingredients
-for Peanut Sauce
1 large tomato
2 tb paprika oil or annatto oil
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 small white onion, minced
½ cup natural chunky peanut butter
½ cup vegetable stock or water
Pinch of sea or kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of ground aji or cayenne pepper
-Potatoes:
4 Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 ramps or green onions, white part only, thinly sliced
Pinch of sea or kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 egg white
Masa harina or whole wheat flour, for dredging
Paprika oil or annatto oil for cooking
To prepare the sauce, prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill, preheat a gas grill to high, or preheat the broiler. Place the tomato on the grill rack or in a boiler pan and cook, turning often, for 4-5 minutes, until the skin is slightly blackened and blistered. Peel the tomato and dice.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until transparent. Add the tomato and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes. Add the peanut butter, stock, salt, pepper, andaji and cook, stirring often., for about 5 minutes, until the sauce is somewhat thick but pourable. The sauce may be stored for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator and reheated if desired.
Place the potatoes in a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes. Reserve 1 potato. Mash the remaining potatoes with a fork or pass through a food mill. Allow to cool completely.
Coarsely grate the served potato, cover, and set aside. Place the mashed potatoes in a bowl and add the ramps, salt, and pepper. Lightly whisk the egg white in a separate bowl. Add the egg white to the potatoes, and mix to incorporate evenly.
To form the cakes, divide the potato mixture into 6 equal portions. Shape each portion into a cake about 3 inches in diameter and 2 inches thick. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the grated potato onto a work surface and place 1 of the formed cakes on the grated potato. Depress the cake firmly into the grated potato to coat the cake. Turn over and repeat with the other side of the cake. Repeat the process for the remaining cakes.
Sprinkle the cakes lightly with masa harina. Heat some of the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the cakes and cook, turning once, for about 7 minutes on each side, until nicely browned with a firm crust. Serve immediately with the peanut sauce on the side.
From Foods of the Americas Native Recipes and Traditions
This recipe was inspired by a type of potato cake made throughout the former Inka Empire, from Ecuador or Argentina. Try these cakes with a few slices of crisply fried potatoes for added texture or with crunchy fried plantains. For an experience that transcends time, serve them with peanut sauce. Peanuts and potatoes were among the earliest crops developed in South America. This recipe offers a creative solution for using leftover mashed potatoes. Makes 6 cakes
Ingredients
-for Peanut Sauce
1 large tomato
2 tb paprika oil or annatto oil
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 small white onion, minced
½ cup natural chunky peanut butter
½ cup vegetable stock or water
Pinch of sea or kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of ground aji or cayenne pepper
-Potatoes:
4 Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 ramps or green onions, white part only, thinly sliced
Pinch of sea or kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 egg white
Masa harina or whole wheat flour, for dredging
Paprika oil or annatto oil for cooking
To prepare the sauce, prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill, preheat a gas grill to high, or preheat the broiler. Place the tomato on the grill rack or in a boiler pan and cook, turning often, for 4-5 minutes, until the skin is slightly blackened and blistered. Peel the tomato and dice.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until transparent. Add the tomato and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes. Add the peanut butter, stock, salt, pepper, andaji and cook, stirring often., for about 5 minutes, until the sauce is somewhat thick but pourable. The sauce may be stored for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator and reheated if desired.
Place the potatoes in a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes. Reserve 1 potato. Mash the remaining potatoes with a fork or pass through a food mill. Allow to cool completely.
Coarsely grate the served potato, cover, and set aside. Place the mashed potatoes in a bowl and add the ramps, salt, and pepper. Lightly whisk the egg white in a separate bowl. Add the egg white to the potatoes, and mix to incorporate evenly.
To form the cakes, divide the potato mixture into 6 equal portions. Shape each portion into a cake about 3 inches in diameter and 2 inches thick. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the grated potato onto a work surface and place 1 of the formed cakes on the grated potato. Depress the cake firmly into the grated potato to coat the cake. Turn over and repeat with the other side of the cake. Repeat the process for the remaining cakes.
Sprinkle the cakes lightly with masa harina. Heat some of the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the cakes and cook, turning once, for about 7 minutes on each side, until nicely browned with a firm crust. Serve immediately with the peanut sauce on the side.