Saturday 22 January 2011

Ardèche potato cake

This potato cake has its origin from Ardèche region of France known as crique ardèchois.  It's a simple flat cake made with grated potatoes, eggs, herbs and cooked in a frying pan with butter or olive oil.

This cake is a great accompaniment to grilled meats like lamb or beef; but I also like it just as it is.

The only tricky bit about cooking this cake is turning it.  In the word of Julia Child, "When you flip anything, you've just got to have the courage of your convictions... especially if it's a loose sort of mass like this".  Or if it's too scary, do what I did... I'll explain later.


Ardèche Potato Cake
Recipe by Stéphane Reynaud
Serves 6 (or 1 in the course of 3 servings, I am dangerous around carbohydrates)


800 g baking potatoes
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 onions
1 bunch of chives
salt and pepper
olive oil


Peel the potatoes and then grate them on the fine side of the grater, and the potatoes will thus become a mush.  Mix with the eggs.  Peel and slice the onions as finely as possible, snip the chives into short lengths, combine with the rest of the mixture and season generously.  Pour a layer of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan.  Heat and the pour the potato cake mixture and cook over a gentle heat for 7-8 minutes.  


Turning this cake can be a bit tricky.  It'll be easy if you have a second pan (same size, of course) and transfer it to the clean pan. Or, why not put the whole thing in a preheated 180 C oven and finish cooking it for 20-25 minutes (sprinkle the top with cheese if you wish). Transfer to a serving board, top with more chives and cut into wedges. Voilà!


I like to have this with sour cream and black pepper; or with fried egg and ketchup/brown sauce/hot sauce, your choice...




Have a great weekend!

17 comments:

  1. This sounds really wonderful. The oven tip is especially appreciated. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  2. this looks like the kind of dish my mother makes although I think hers has even more onions that yours... I love this kind of thing, simply divine with a poached egg on top! Wonderful baking! x

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  3. This looks great, Michael, I've not made a potato cake with such finely grated potatoes before. I hope it fixes the issue I've often had with them, which is that some of the grated potato just never seems to cook quite enough. Revelation! But tell me, do you drain the grated potatoes before you mix them with the other ingredients? Mine always tend to leak a fair bit of moisture.

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  4. I would love to have that as a side anytime...it look delicious, potatoes cheese and sour cream...the perfect combination!
    Dennis

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  5. looks so good and love the Julia quote

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  6. Wow! This looks so golden and delicous! Love it. I need to get more french cooking happening in my kitchen.

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  7. Ooh, this looks lovely. And definitely with a fried egg on top. I'd take the easy route and not flip too : )

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  8. I like the looks of this crispy, crunchy potato cake! Great Julia quote too - I like how you worked it into the post - very fitting.

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  9. Oh, that looks lovely, Michael! I think flipping, though difficult most of the time, is the really fun part of cooking... you never know what will happen!! :)

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  10. Michael, the potato cake looks delicious, what a great complement for any meal :-)

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  11. Mary: thanks. My pleasure. Have a great day.

    Dom: poached egg will be fab. The trouble is I cannot poach eggs. :(

    Angela: I didn't drain the potatoes. I guess the eggs really bind the whole mixture here.

    Chef: I couldn't agree more.

    Rebecca: Thank you. Like the quote as well.

    Elizabeth and Jared: I love French cooking. Loads and loads of butter. yum!

    Lynne: Yeah... some risks are not worth taking.

    Reeni: Thank you. The cake had a nice crust outside and soft in the middle.

    Jenn: Indeed!

    Juliana: Thank you. Roast lamb will be great with this as many other dishes.

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  12. Nice tip with the oven! This is a favorite dish of mine...love it for breakfast with sour cream too :)

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  13. this is such a wonderful concoction - so reminicent of potato latkes but in one delicious mass haha - I LOVE IT! I would so totally eat this with an egg on top and smothered in chili *wink* - my kind of breakfast!

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  14. alisha: Oh yes definitely. Lots of sour cream.

    Bella: It'll wonderful with tabasco sauce in the morning after a great night out :)

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  15. This makes a wonderful side dish or entree with a salad. Heck, let's eat for breakfast! I just need a cup of coffee.

    Love it! Love it!

    Velva

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  16. Oh that looks soooooo good! Yum!!!!

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  17. Mmm, tasty old favourite this one isn't it. I'm sure I've had something like this before & it was called Potato Kugal, but you've got a couple of yummier ingredients in it, nice one. Haven't had this for ages either.

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