As somebody who can’t tolerate onions, these cheese and chive potato cakes are a great fix for any of my oniony cravings. Crisp and golden on the outside and fluffy on the inside, they’re a doddle to make and are delicious with a runny boiled egg. The lemony yogurt and peppery watercress make for a bright and tangy accompaniment to the cheesy, comforting potato.
If you already have leftover mash potato, simply mix it with the rest of the ingredients before forming into patties and cooking.
Ingredients:
550g fluffy potatoes, such as Maris Piper
2 tablespoons gluten-free plain flour
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
1⁄2 teaspoon smoked paprika
100g grated cheddar cheese
Small bunch of chives, finely chopped
1 free-range egg
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Oil, for cooking
To serve:
2-4 free-range eggs
4 tablespoons of lactose-free yogurt
1 lemon
80g watercress
Extra chopped chives or a few leaves of dill
Extra-virgin olive oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, gas mark 4 and place a cooling rack over an oven tray.
Chop any larger potatoes in half or quarters and tumble the potatoes into a large saucepan. Cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until tender. Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan to cool.
Once cooled, mash the potatoes and then sprinkle over the gluten-free flour, dried herbs, smoked paprika, cheddar cheese and chives. Crack in the egg, season well and mix to thoroughly combine.
Divide the dough into 8 equal patties.
Place a non-stick pan over a medium-high heat and add a little oil. Add 2-3 of the potato cakes (making sure not to overcrowd the pan), and press down to flatten them slightly. Fry for 3–5 minutes each side, or until crisp and golden brown.
Transfer the cakes to your cooling rack tray set up and place them in the oven while you cook the rest. Make sure each potato cake has had 5 or so minutes in the oven to ensure they’re cooked through.
Meanwhile, bring a small pan of water to the boil and add the eggs. Cook for 5 minutes for runny yolks and then place into a bowl of cold water. Once the eggs are cool enough to handle, crack and remove the shells and slice in half.
Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the yogurt, along with a little lemon zest and some salt and pepper. To serve, add a dollop of the yogurt onto each plate, followed by two of the potato cakes. Tuck on some watercress, a runny egg half or two and sprinkle with a few extra chopped chives and leaves of dill. Finish with some black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, if you like.
