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!