We hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday, and we hope you have a great New Year too! We had a great Christmas and made some delicious dishes (which we will get to at a later time – I promise). Now that our cookies are FINALLY done, it was back to doing what we do best which is cooking our favorite dishes and pairing them with our favorite brews. My parents and sister are here to help celebrate the holiday and help eat all of the delicious foods. Today we made a special little snack from our leftover blue mashed potatoes from last night. Oh…my…God. They were to die for! Blue Potato Pancakes…what doesn’t sound delicious about that?! We suggest that if you have leftovers, you HAVE to try this one out.
Whether you have white, yellow, red or blue (purple potatoes), I’m sure most of you have some type of leftover potato. And if you don’t have any, then make some. It will be worth it. We found these cute little blue potatoes at Whole Foods the other day, and I had to make blue (purple) mashed potato for Christmas Day dinner. I really had no reason for it except for the fact that they were blue (purple) and just thought that they would look cool. They did taste extra earthy and fresh though. If you can get your hands on these, try them out. I really think they take on more of a purply color once you slice through them, but the skin is definitely blue, so call them whatever you like. I just like blue better than purple =).
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What do you have when you smash mashed potatoes into a ball and flatten them: well a potato pancake of course!…a tradition I’m sure most of you already know of…Well it’s not THAT simple, but it’s pretty freaking easy. Just don’t forget the eggs and bread crumbs. Those are pretty important components. My mom, dad, or sister can be the judges, but I’m pretty sure they came out perfect: especially with those little hints of bacon and that dollop of sour cream. It’s certainly not a potato cake without some sour cream.
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For the beer pairing for this recipe, we suggest Okocim Porter. No it’s not just because potato cakes are Polish and this porter is from Poland. Ok, well yeah it’s part of the reason. I thought it was a fun idea =), and you certainly need a hearty beer for this dish. A porter is a perfect example of that! You don’t see many porters and stouts in Poland, so when Zach was in Poland this past summer, he had to pick up a bottle. What a wonderful idea?! I’m not 100% you can get this in the United States, but you can pick up a bottle of a different Imperial Porter. If you can’t get your hands on this, try getting a bottle of Gonzo from Flying Dog. This will certainly do the trick and it’s delicious.
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We hope everyone is enjoying the Holidays. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs blue (purple) potatoes, washed and quartered
- 2 large turnips, peeled and cubed
- 6 cloves garlic, skins removed and smashed
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup plain bread crumbs
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- sour cream (for garnish)
- green onions (for garnish)
- cooked bacon, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a stock pot, combine the potatoes, turnips, garlic and a dash of salt. Fill the stock pot with water until it just covers the ingredients. Heat over medium-high heat until the veggies begin to soften enough to poke a knife through without hesitation. Remove from heat and drain in a colander.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, with paddle attachment fixed, combine the potato mixture, salt and pepper, milk and 4 tablespoons of the butter. Mix until just combined, but not too creamy.
- At this point, let cool then refrigerate to cool completely (unless you are eating them like this - then eat them (=).
- Once cool, in a large bowl add the eggs and bread crumbs to the mashed potatoes. Mix well to combine until you can form balls of potato. Adjust amount of bread crumbs if your potatoes are too moist.
- In a small saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and add the diced onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook until they are translucent and just beginning to brown: about 7-8 minutes. Remove from pan and add to potato mixture.
- In a large saute pan, add 1/4 cup of vegetable shortening over medium - medium/high heat. Bring the shortening to a temperature of 350 degrees. Meanwhile, form the potatoes into 1 1/2in balls and lightly press down to form cake like patties.
- Once the shortening is heated, gently place 4 (if there is room) potato cakes in the pan. Be careful not to overcrowd. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until they are brown and crispy on the outside, but still soft on the inside. Immediately remove from pan and place on a plate. Do not cover and do not sit on paper towels (they will get too mushy). Repeat this step with the rest of the potato cakes.
- Serve with sour cream, bacon and green onions.
Notes
Hardware: * 5 qt Stock Pot * Cutting Board * Sharp Knife * Stand Mixer (with paddle attachment fixed or Hand Mixer * Bowls * Small Saute Pan * Large Saute Pan * Wooden Spoons * Spatula * Measuring Spoons * Measuring Cups *
