40 mins
+ waiting
Lancashire Potato Cakes
Recipe by Graham
I remember well as a child delighting in the traditional Lancashire Potato Cakes. Not only are they simple and inexpensive, they freeze well and can be reheated in less than one minute in a microwave.
Potato Cakes are not to be confused with Hash Browns or Potato Scallops (or Boxty) - these really are little cakes made from Potato. They may be an acquired taste (how would I know? I've been eating them since childhood!), especially as the main (almost only) ingredients are potato and plain flour. So, if you're looking for a carb hit, this is the food for the job. They can be eaten hot from the oven, but I prefer them cold and spread with butter for a morning or afternoon snack.
Lamb Navarin 
Left-over Lamb & Potato Cakes Ingredients for Lancashire Potato Cakes
Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements
How to Cook Lancashire Potato Cakes
- Peel the potatoes and cut into pieces of roughly equal size (A medium-sized potato is usually cut into about 6 pieces). Rinse the potatoes to remove any surface starch. Now place them in a large pan with sufficient salted water to cover the potatoes. Bring the water to the boil then turn down the heat and cover the pan so that it continues to boil gently.
- Cooking time can vary depending upon the type of potato and the texture. Generally, however, somewhere between 15 - 20 minutes is sufficient. When you think that the potatoes are close to being cooked, pierce one or two of them with a fork. If the fork penetrates easily with little resistance, the potatoes are cooked. Remove the pan from the heat and drain off the water. Add half the butter (2oz - 50g) and, using a potato masher, begin to break up and mash the potatoes. Add milk (or cream if you want to be decadent) until the texture is soft and light.
- Allow the potatoes to cool then mix them in a large bowl with the remaining 2oz (55g) of butter and the self-raising flour (self-rising flour) until a soft dough is formed (you can add a small amount of milk if necessary to help form a pliable dough). Season with salt and pepper and roll the dough into a sausage shape about 3" (7.5cm) in diameter, then cut it into slices about ½" (1cm) wide.
- Using just a little duck fat (or oil) fry these cakes over a medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side until they are lightly browned. Serve hot with a little butter on top, or with bacon and eggs.
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
For a quick snack, if you have any potato cakes in the freezer, thaw them, reheat in the microwave then sprinkle a little grated cheese on top and place under a hot, preheated grill for a few minutes until the cheese melts.
Reviews of Lancashire Potato Cakes
| May 29 2016 Interesting to see your potato cakes are small ones. Where I grew up everyone I knew made one pan sized potato cake and sliced it up. The recipe tasted spot on - but I did make one big one with butter on top like I was used to - old habits. So traditional, easy to make and cheap - big tick. Cheers gerryc (1 review) |
April 24 2013 At first I thought this recipe was for Boxty, but then I realised that they are quite different. Boxty seem more to be the antecedent of hash browns because it's a mixture of mashed and grated potatoes, resulting in a texture that's part pancake, part hash brown. I have now tried them both and could get thoroughly addicted to either! Thanks for the recipe. dantheman (19 reviews) |
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