Onion and Cheddar Mashed Potato Cakes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do my mashed potato cakes fall apart? ›

The biggest thing to note is how thick the mashed potatoes are to begin with, if your mashed potatoes are thin or more watery to begin with you might need to add more flour to keep everything together. Egg – This is used as a binder to help keep the mashed potatoes cakes from falling apart.

If the potato pancakes are falling apart while you're shaping them before you start cooking, they are either either too wet or they need more flour to hold them together. You can also mix the flour a little more the mix to develop gluten and then let it rest before cooking.

Mix mashed potatoes, flour, onion, egg, black pepper, and salt in a bowl until well combined, similar to a batter consistency. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Drop 4-inch circles of batter into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per side; drain on paper towels.

It depends on whether your potatoes are turning gray before you cook them or after. When you grate raw potatoes, you release starch that can cause them to oxidize, or turn dark. The best way to keep that from happening is to cover the potatoes with cold water, then drain them very well and pat them dry before cooking.

Flour is used as an important binder in the cakes. If your mixture ends up being too sticky, you can add a touch more flour, but be careful – if you use too much, your cakes will taste more like flour and less like potatoes.

Instead of regular milk, pro chefs generally use a generous helping of buttermilk and plenty of half-and-half or (even better) heavy cream in their potatoes. If you think the bartenders up front are pouring heavy, they've got nothing on the cooks in the back who are in charge of the mashed potatoes.

Ingredients. Potatoes, Dairy Blend (Milk, Butter [Cream, Salt], Soybean Oil, Salt, Natural Flavor, Monoglycerides), Potassium Sorbate (to Maintain Freshness), Black Pepper, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (to Maintain Color).

The yolk emulsifies water and fat to create a cohesive, velvety bite, while providing a little fat and body of its own. What is this? You can add an egg yolk to nearly any existing mashed potato recipe.

Thoroughly squeezing the moisture out of the shredded potatoes prior to cooking is how you keep potato pancakes from falling apart. Using the proper ratio of egg to potato is also important. If your mixture seems too watery before cooking, add a bit more flour to thicken it up.

Once you've shaped up the potato cakes, sprinkle them with a little flour on the top side to stop them sticking to the pan once you've flipped them. When placing the potato cakes into a frying pan, make sure the oil in the pan is hot to allow the potato cakes to crisp up and get that golden colour.

What are potato cakes called in America? ›

In some states it's known as a 'potato scallop', in others it's a 'potato cake', and for years the debate has been bantered back and forward between protagonists. “It might be a 'scallop' of potato but let's not confuse it with a serve of scallops!

Bubble and Squeak (or Potato Cakes) is a British classic, and an easy and flexible recipe. You can make it from scratch OR use up leftover veggies. Flavorful, colorful, fluffy, creamy and so so good. Perfect as a breakfast or brunch recipe!

What I will comment on is that scallop is a better culinary description because it comes from the French word escaloper, meaning to cut in fine slices. A potato cake is not, in fact, a cake. It would be best described, however, as a potato fritter, as they do in South Australia.

If your pancakes aren't sticking together while you form them, you can add a bit more egg, or put the potato mixture into the refrigerator to firm up again. If your pancakes are feeling too wet and won't form into a patty you can add a bit of flour to act as a binder.

You Add Potato Pieces to Boiling Water

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. You do not want to leave the water boiling for long. The aggressive temperature and rolling bubbles will cause the potatoes to fall apart. Cook just until tender, and drain.

Most often, then, the solution to evenly cooked potatoes is cooking them twice: First, boil, steam, or steam-roast (a fancy term for cooking them with water in the oven) until they're mostly tender but not fall-apart finished. Second, brown the outsides and finish cooking the interiors on the stovetop or in the oven.