Potato Cakes

My mum is irish so I grew up with potato cakes after ever meal that involved mash potato (which is most).  This was a really tasty lunch of colcannon potato cakes, parmesan, panchetta and rocket salad with a nice dressing.  You make potato cakes by adding plain flour until the mash potato is the consistancy of a pastry dough.  Then roll out and cut out the cakes, freeze any excess.  You almost dry fry them, maybe with a touch of butter.  They are so good for breakfast too.  Great with a poached egg, bacon and maple syrup.

Barny does Sausages and Colcannon

And they were deelish.  Incase you don’t know, Colcannon is an irish potato dish which is basically mash potato, cream and kale.  Amazing served with boiled ham.  We made loads of it, far too much to eat, which made me deliriously happy as I knew we’d be making potato cakes the next day.

Poached eggs with chilli wilted spinach and panchetta on toast

Ricotta Stuffed Mushrooms and a Basil and Broad Bean Salad

Broad beans are in season, so I am going to do my best to eat all of them.  I got two portobello mushrooms from the green grocers.  Then Gilbey came for dinner because I wouldn’t let him cycle home on a bike who’s breaks refuse to work in the rain.  So we shared the big ones and also used a few big little mushrooms we found in the shop on the way home.

I filled them with garlic butter, thyme, halved cherry tomatoes and started to bake them in the oven.  Then I mixed the stuffing which was ricotta cheese, pancetta, red pepper, salt and pepper.  I filled them with this after about half an hour and drizzled more olive oil and butter and added a little bit of white wine to the tray, then popped back in the oven.  This wine not only reduces cooking time but emulsifies with the butter and the mushroom juice for a scrumptious jus.

Served on a bed of wilted spinach with a rocket and broad bead salad which was dressed with a very garlicy and very basily dressing.

Smoked Mackerel with Horseradish Cream and Bean Salad

Inspired by my lovely old flat mates Justin and Becky who once made me something similar.  I bought some top notch sweet smoked mackerel, served it cold with crunchy radish and with some green and broad beans that i'd cooked and gently fried with butter and shallots.  I grated some parmesan, then plopped a big dollop of cream fraise which is well seasoned and mixed with horseradish sauce.  The spicy horseradish really cuts through the oily fish.  Deeelish. In smaller quantities, this would make a great starter.