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Crisp Potato Cake

Source of Recipe

From "Williams Sonoma: Cooking at Home" by Chuck Williams


Recipe Introduction

"This recipe couldn't be simpler: shredded potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked in butter. The large, flat cake is crisp on the outside and creamy in the center. As much of the cooking time is hands-off, it's the perfect side dish for any meal."

List of Ingredients

◦ 1 � pounds russet potatoes
◦ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
◦ Salt and ground pepper


Recipe

Peel the potatoes, then shred them on the medium holes of a handheld shredder or food processor fitted with the medium shredding disk. Rinse in several changes of cold water to remove the starch, and dry well on paper towels.

In a 12-inch frying pan over medium-low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter, tipping the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Add the potatoes and pack them down firmly into a cake about 1 inch thick. Cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are golden brown on the bottom, about 15 minutes. Loosen the edges and bottom of the potato cake with a spatula, and invert a plate on top of the frying pan. Holding the plate and pan together, turn them over so the cake falls onto the plate. Lift off the frying pan and return it to the burner. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pan and allow it to melt over medium-low heat. Slide the potato cake back into the pan, browned side up. Cook the second side until crisp and golden brown and the cake is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Again, loosen the cake from the pan, then slide it out onto a warmed serving plate. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve right away, cut into wedges.

Makes 4 servings






❧ Drying the Potatoes:

Drying the potatoes well before cooking is an important step to ensure they brown well. If you have a salad spinner, spin the shredded potatoes dry to remove excess water, then pat them dry on paper towels.