1 lb Cooked floury potatoes 4 tb Self-raising flour
1 ts Salt 1 Butter for filling
2 oz Butter, softened
Potato cakes are eaten with bacon and sausages. It’s easier to make
them with hot, freshly cooked potatoes. If using cold potatoes, melt
the butter before adding it. Choose a floury type of potato, and
boil in well-salted water. — Drain the cooked potatoes well, then
return to low heat in the same pan: put a dishcloth over the pan and
allow the potatoes to dry for 5-10 minutes. (This is called “drying
in their steam” in Ireland.) They should be dry and floury at the
end of the process. Sieve or rice into a mixing bowl with the salt.
Beat in the butter. Work in sufficient flour to make a soft dough
which is easy to handle. Turn onto a floured board and roll or pat
out to 3/4 inch thick. Cut into rounds with a 3-inch scone cutter.
Place on the hot greased bakestone and cook over a moderate heat
until golden brown underneath. Turn and cook the other side. Remove
from the bakestone, split, butter generously, and close again. Keep
warm while cooking the next batch. Serve hot. (Re “self-raising
flour”: in Ireland and the UK, this is flour which comes with baking
powder/baking soda already included. For this recipe, about 1/4-1/2
t of baking powder mixed with a plain all-purpose flour will
substitute nicely.)
Yields
8 servings