Thursday, March 17, 2016

cookin' at work...(potato pancakes)

...with a secret ingredient. You will initially think: "Yuck!" But if you happened to be strolling through the store earlier in the week when it was being prepared and samples given away, you'd now be thinking: 'Oh! so That's what was so unusual?' So what was that taste bud surprise? Sauerkraut. The only customer who put a bite in her mouth and immediately said the word was someone who was raised in Germany, where it is apparently much more frequently/commonly served than one would find in south Georgia.

I had a couple of customers ask me for the recipe when I was cooking on Wednesday, after the potato pancake recipe was no longer being prepared. Meaning they liked it so well, and their tongues could recall the flavor so clearly, they came back to get the instructions and ingredients to make it at home. Which is, to my way of thinking, the definition of success, as far as sales are concerned.

Irish Cheese Potato Cakes

2 oz/ deli aged white cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tbs. fresh chives, finely chopped
1 cup sauerkraut, drained and finely chopped
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 cups refrigerated sour cream/chive mashed potatoes, drained
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 Tbs. canola oil
14 cup sour cream

Place bread crumbs on waxed paper or large plate. Combine potatoes, cheese, chives, sauerkraut, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Shape mixture into eight 1/2 inch thick patties. Coat both sides of each potato cake with panko, pressing with fingertips to evenly coat. Be sure you coat it well.
Preheat non stick skillet, add half he oil, then add four potato cakes. Cook 3-4 min. on each side or until golden and hot. Drain on paper towels. Repeat. Serve with sour cream.

You will be tempted to turn the potato cakes too soon. I forced myself to use a timer and gave them at least four min. per side, after making a big hot mess of the first batch. Patience, please. Wait it out, and they will come out so pretty. Serve immediately, as they are best while still warm.

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