Potato Cakes With Mozzarella and Pesto
I was searching for a nice potato cake recipe when I came across this by Michael Chiarello. We LOVE mozzarella cheese in this house, and this hit the spot. This recipe might take a little bit more time than most, but the patties can be made up to a day ahead to save time on cooking day. (The pesto sauce jar is an estimate for I do not have one here now to be exact. It is just the small jar of pesto.)
MAKE IT SHINE! ADD YOUR PHOTO
Advertisement
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 450º.
- Bake the potatoes right on the oven rack until a bit overcooked, about 1 hour. Let sit until they can be handled.
- Cut potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh. (Reserve the skins for another use if desired, or toss.).
- Lower the oven to 250º.
- Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer or grate them on the large holes of a box grater. This should give you about 6 cups of potatoes.
- Season the potatoes with salt and pepper, and divide into 16 equal balls. Press each ball into a patty about 1/3-inch thick.
- Cut half of the cheese into 1/4-inch pieces. Place a piece of cheese in the middle of each of 8 patties.
- Cover with the remaining 8 patties and shape into smooth disks.
- Lightly dust the patties on both sides with flour. (Patties can be stored for 1 day at this point).
- Heat a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 Tbs. of oil and heat until the oil just begins to smoke.
- Place 4 patties in the skillet. When you hear the patties sizzle, lower the heat to medium.
- Cook until brown and crispy on both sides, 10-12 minutes total. Turn only once. If the first 4 patties absorb all of the oil, just add another Tbs. or so to the skillet and cook the remaining 4 patties.
- Warm pesto sacue in a micro-safe bowl for about 30 sec. or until just warm.
- Grate the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- To serve: sprinkle each potato cake with grated mozzarella and place in a 250º oven until the cheese is melted, spoon pesto on top of each cake and serve immediately.
Advertisement