Turn the humble potato into a feast of rustic elegance with these smoked salmon potato cakes garnished with pickled mustard seeds straight from a hobbit pantry!
Potato Cakes with Pickled Mustard Seeds
Through the long, hot summer months, the hobbits of the Shire are busy tending their gardens, harvesting their crops and preserving fresh seasonal produce for their well-stocked pantries. One such pantry treasure is a jar of sharp and tangy pickled mustard seeds. A unique and flavourful garnish, this zesty condiment is part of our Hobbit Pantry recipe series in which we stock our Shire pantries for the coming fall and winter months. These golden fried Irish potato cakes with a mustard seed garnish are the perfect vehicle to highlight this delicious condiment!
A traditional Irish dish, fried potato cakes are just the type of comfort food to delight any hobbit. Crisp on the outside and soft and tender on the inside, these delicate potato cakes are packed with fresh green onions, giving them a sharp oniony bite. Fresh chives and sour cream pair perfectly with thin slices of smoked salmon. A dollop of pickled mustard seeds adds the perfect textural contrast to these savoury potato cakes with a pleasing crunch and burst of zesty flavour.
Ingredients
Smoked salmon: Thinly sliced smoked salmon is the perfect topping for these savoury potato cakes. Cured salmon, such as gravlax, would also be delicious.
Potatoes: This recipe was formulated using plain boiled and mashed potatoes. I like using a yellow flesh potato, but russets will work as well. Allow the potatoes to cool before mixing the batter or the cakes might become a bit gummy in texture. You could use leftover mashed potatoes instead, although the batter might be a bit softer due to the butter or milk that was added while mashing.
Pickled Mustard Seeds: With a sweet and tangy flavour and delightfully crunchy texture these tangy pickled mustard seeds are the perfect garnish for these smoked salmon topped potato cakes.
How to Make Smoked Salmon Potato Cakes
Make the batter
Peel and dice the potatoes. Add the potatoes to a large pot along with a generous pinch of salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes until tender.
When the potatoes are tender, drain and return to the pot. Mash the potatoes then transfer to a mixing bowl and allow to cool completely. To cool the potatoes quickly, spread them out on a plate and refrigerate until chilled. You should have 3 cups of mashed potatoes.
Transfer the cold mashed potatoes to a mixing bowl. Add the beaten eggs and stir into the potatoes. Add the flour, kosher salt, and pepper and mix until combined. Stir in the chopped green onions. Batter will be thick.
Fry the potato cakes
Place a rack on a baking sheet and have ready to drain the potato cakes. In a wide skillet, add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan, about 1/8 inch deep. Place over medium heat.
Drop a spoonful of the batter into the hot oil. Gently spread the batter out to create a flat cake, about 2 inches in diameter. Alternatively, use lightly oiled hands to shape spoonfuls of the batter into flat discs. Add 4 or 5 more to the pan. Allow the cakes to fry until the bottoms are golden brown – about 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully flip the cakes over and cook for another couple of minutes until browned on the other side.
Transfer the potato cakes to the rack to drain. Repeat with the remaining batter until all the potato cakes are cooked.
Make the sour cream topping
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, chopped chives, kosher salt, and pepper. Stir together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serve the Smoked Salmon on Potato Cakes
To serve, arrange the potato cakes on a serving platter, topping each one with a spoonful of the sour cream mixture. Shape thin slices of smoked salmon into rosettes and place on top of the cakes. Garnish with a dollop of pickled mustard seeds and fresh chopped chives. Enjoy!
