Nain’s Potato Pancakes

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Tender and soft with caramelised edges, these delectable potato pancakes are a fabulous way to use up leftover mashed potato, they are quick to make, use minimal store cupboard ingredients and come together very quickly. Think of them as the birth child of American pancakes and Irish potato farls. Like potato farls, they can form an integral part of many dishes but are particularly good with a full cooked breakfast. Like American pancakes, they are delicious served with some bacon and maple syrup.

What is the best way to serve Potato Pancakes?

There are so many different ways you can serve Potato Pancakes. Here are just a few ideas. Serve with:

• sausages. If serving for supper, add some onion gravy.
• bacon, with or without maple syrup
• black pudding or white pudding
• mushrooms and tomatoes
• eggs – scrambled, fried or poached
• baked beans
• avocado – sliced or mashed
• smoked salmon and sour cream
• roast beetroot and creamed goat’s cheese
• hot fresh soup
• any casserole
• you could even use them as a base for a quick Welsh Rarebit.

How to make Nain’s Potato Pancakes

Collect together all the ingredients:

• left-over mashed potato. (Or make fresh by peeling and cooking 1 – 2 medium potatoes in boiling, salted water until cooked and then drain and mash. Maris Piper and King Edwards are both good potatoes for mashing.)
• baking powder
• egg
• milk
• fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
• plain/all-purpose flour

To cook –

• a little oil – I use olive oil
• some butter

How to make these wonderfully delicious yet economic pancakes:

1. Tip the mashed potato, baking powder, egg, 50ml milk and seasoning into a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric whisk until as smooth as possible. Mashed potato taken straight from the fridge needs a really good mix compared to warm, freshly prepared mashed potato.
2. Sieve over the flour and fold in. It is important to add the flour at the end because over-mixing the flour could cause these pancakes to be tough.
3. Add more milk if necessary. Potatoes vary so the texture of each mix will be slightly different. Plus, if you are using up left-over mashed potato, this may well already have some milk/cream and/or butter in it. I find that when using mashed potato with no added milk or butter, I need the full 75ml, but not necessarily when using potato which already includes some milk and butter. When you run a spoon or spatula through the mixture, it should be solid enough to separate, but soft enough to reform when you remove the spoon. (See photographs.)
4. Heat a little oil and butter, about 1 – 2 teaspoons in total, in your frying pan or griddle, ensuring it covers the base evenly. I use a heatproof brush to spread the oil evenly. Heat on a medium heat until hot.
5. Spoon 2 – 3 tablespoons batter, or use an ice cream scoop, onto the pan. You should be able to cook 2 – 4 at a time depending on the size of the pancakes and the size of your pan. Use a palette knife to flatten the tops of the pancakes, spreading them out a little and creating a flat surface on top.
6. Cook for around 2 – 3 minutes on the first side, or until lightly browned on the underside. Flip, and continue to cook, for 1 – 2 minutes on the other, or until lightly browned and cooked through.
7. Transfer to a warmed plate and cover with foil while you cook the remainder of the batter. You may need to turn the heat down on your hob – the pan will become hotter, the longer you cook.
8. Serve piled onto warmed plates with the accompaniments of your choice.

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