Hello! It’s been too long. The last while has been fairly hectic for me with both good and bad things happening. That’s life I suppose. As a result I took a break from blogging, I just didn’t have the energy or time to write up posts. But I’m back now, with my favourite type of post, a breakfast recipe.

These Chorizo Potato Cakes are inspired by one of favourite places to go for brunch, The Priory. I regularly order their Black Pudding Potato cakes with poached eggs. I have a particular fondness for potato cakes. One of my favourite meals that my Mam would make for me was leftover mashed potatoes mixed with dried herbs and onions and fried up like a big pancake. So this is a mix of all these things.

You can serve these Chorizo Potato Cakes as the main meal or as part of a mixed breakfast. And don’t confine yourself to breakfast either, they make a great lunch and breakfast for dinner is one of the best meals.

 

Useful tips & links:

• Don’t get too hung up on measurements here. Use what you have, just taste as you go to make sure you are happy with the flavours.
• I make these to use up leftover mashed potato. As such, the mash has a lot of seasoning and butter in it already. If you are cooking potatoes just for this you will need to add butter and seasoning to your mash.
• Feel free to substitute black pudding or ham for the chorizo or leave the meat out altogether to make them vegetarian.
• I sometimes like to add cheese, well why wouldn’t you! A nice cheddar or smoked cheese is great.
• I use spring onions raw in the mix but if you want to use regular onions, fry them gently with the chorizo before adding them to the potatoes.
• If you want to add crunch to these you can coat them in panko breadcrumbs before frying.
• Have a look at Niamh from Eat Like a Girl’s delicious Kale and Potato Cakes.
• For more breakfast ideas have a look at my Breakfast & Brunch section.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chorizo Potato Cakes

Makes 5-6

 

Ingredients:

• Approx. 400g of leftover mashed potato
• 125g of diced cooking chorizo
• Salt and pepper
• 3-4 spring onions
• A tablespoon of flour
• 1 egg beaten
• Oil for frying

Serving suggestions: fresh herbs – I like chives, sour cream, guacamole or sliced avocado, bacon, black beans, pico de gallo, fried or poached egg, relish, red onion jam.

 

Method:

• Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan over a medium heat and gently fry the chorizo until it’s oils are released.
• Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Clean the chorizo oil out of the pan.
• Tip the cooked chorizo into the mashed potatoes and add the sliced spring onions. Mix all of these ingredients together, taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary. When you are happy with the flavour add the flour and beaten egg and mix it all until fully combined.
• Shape the potato mixture into 4-6 patties depending on the size you want them. If you have time, put them in the fridge for an hour or overnight as this will help them to hold together in the pan. You could also freeze them at this stage if you like.
• When ready to cook heat another thin layer of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, too much oil will make the cakes go soggy and fall apart. Place the Chorizo Potato Cakes into the pan and leave them for a few minutes to allow them to turn golden and develop a light crust on the bottom. Turn them over and cook until golden on that side.
• Drain on kitchen paper if necessary and serve immediately.