I've made fried mashed potatoes by adding an egg (or 2 depending on quantity) to the usually cold left over mashed. My mashed usually already has fried onions which you mentioned you're allergic to, but I could see frying up a pepper chopped finely.

I also usually add ground pepper.

Latkas most often refer to fried potato pancakes made with raw grated or shredded potatoes. I call my mashed potato ones fritters.

Helene

Tomorrow I am making Irish potato cakes.

The recipe is from taste of home or food network magazine.

2 cups mashed potatoes
heaping 1/3 cup of flour
2 tablespoons of milk
1 tablespoon of mixed herbs (your choice)

kneed until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. divide into 4 balls on floured surface and flatten each into a 3 inch patty. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter in skillet mover med high heat. cook about 4-5 minutes per side.

I've never made these before so I have no idea of the results!

My grandmother used to make potato pancakes from raw grated potatoes in a cast iron skillet.

I do the same as bluebird. However, sometimes leftover mashed potatoes have a bit too much liquid already in them. So instead of the whole egg, I'll just use the yolk(s). I also dredge the potato pancake in flour before frying it in butter. The flour dredge helps the pancakes keep their shape. And butter gives the crust a wonderful flavor. If you think the mixture is still too wet, I'd add some freshly made breadcrumbs and let it sit for a while to absorb the excess liquid. The bread crumbs have more flavor than plain flour. I think dry would work fine too as long as they're not the grocery store, finely ground, almost like saw dust, kind.

I make them like my mom did. (We called them 'potato cakes.') Add an egg (or two) to left over mash, pat them out into cakes & roll in slightly crushed cornflakes and fry.

For potato pancakes, I use grated boiled potatoes. Stir into pancake batter & fry. I like them with butter & maple syrup but they're typically served with applesauce. At least that's the way the restaurants here in central Wisconsin usually serve them.

Try Schmaltz instead of butter.

dcarch

dcarch,

What, no grebenes? ;-)

Helene

I love potato pancakes made with mashed potatoes. But I don't consider them to be the same as "Latkes".

Mere Blanc's Potato Pancakes
From:www.thedailyspud.com
with very minor changes.

2 small baking potatoes
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup All-Purpose flour
2 eggs, separated
1-1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
Pinch of salt
Pepper
Fresh chives
Butter for frying

Cook potatoes until tender
Mash with a little milk. Let potatoes cool before adding the remaining
milk, cream, flour, egg yolks, salt, pepper and chives.

Beat Egg Whites until stiff. Fold into potato mixture. Do not over
mix. This is a light but thick batter.

Heat a griddle or skillet. ( I used a rectangle electric frying pan) .
Brush with butter. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup drop batter on to
griddle. Cook until pancakes are brown and then flip. Serve with sour
cream.

I made potato pancakes a week ago using cooked (but not mashed) potatoes, and I drained them before I added them. I use no milk or cream in my recipe (maybe some potato water, if necessary), and get the moisture from eggs. For two cups of cooked potatoes, I used two eggs and then added flour, salt, baking powder, (and onions) to make a batter. I have found that it is best to make smaller pancakes, cook them at a somewhat lower heat than normal pancakes, and for a longer time. If they are too big and cooked at too high a heat, they do not cook all the way through, but that can be remedied by storing them in a 220 degree warming oven, or by reheating them on a cooler grill. I made cornmeal pancakes this week-end, and I like them a lot better. I also prefer latkes made with grated raw potatoes, onion, egg, and Matzo meal. It's important to squeeze the excess water out of the grated potatoes when making this recipe, and I only make these in a skillet, since they require 1/4 inch of oil for frying. It is also best to make these smaller instead of larger, as the larger ones can fall apart when they are turned.

I haven't made potato waffles from mashed potatoes, but I think that might be a good way of making sure that they are cooked all the way through.

Lars

Cilantro, IâÂÂve always loved the potato pancakes made from grated potatoes. I see you boil yours first? How do you grate them? DonâÂÂt they just mush up?

When I have made them the grated potatoes turned grey so fast it was unappetizing, and I never got the texture right, either.

I learned to love these when my parents moved to Wisconsin! I have not had good ones in any restaurant here. I would ask for applesause, sour cream, AND butter

OK, so I made the potato pancakes/cakes according to debrak's recipe & they were delish!

Started a new batch adding chopped green peppers & realized I had to leave RIGHT THEN to go pick up grandson at school. I threw some saran wrap over the bowl of mix, threw it in fridge, picked up grandson, then went straight to work.

I came home today & reached in fridge to get the mix & it has turned sort of grayish-brownish!

Do I continue or do I throw it all away & start all over?

Sort of gross looking. I'm leaning toward throwing it away.

What would you do?

Thanks,
Betty

Never mind.

I tossed them.

Thanks anyway,
Betty

Linnea--If you use cold (out of the refrigerator), boiled red (i.e., waxy) potatoes, they should grate up nicely for you. (Don't overcook the potatoes.) Mix up your pancake batter & then lightly fold the grated potatoes in the batter. (I use a fork to fold them in & distribute the potatoes.) (I use a box grater or the food processor.)

Potatoes just go off-color after they're cooked. I don't know if there is so way to prevent that...but I never fret about it. The pancakes are going to be pretty and brown on the outside and taste delicious.

Glad it worked out Betty. I made them too and the family loved them!

The pancakes made from grated potatoes have different names in different cuisines. I guess sometimes they are called latkes, I know them as roesti or rosti, maybe the US equivalent is hash browns?

I make the Swiss roesti. Grate potatoes and (optional) onion, press out the moisture (tea towel works), mix with some salt, pepper, and (optional) grated cheese, form into your desired shape, and fry in butter. The potatoes can be raw or half-boiled before grating; raw just takes a little longer to cook.

I recently made pancakes from mashed potatoes with some seasoning but no other binder (no eggs, etc). They had a delicate crust and looked/tasted good, but were very fragile.

Here is a link that might be useful: Basic Roesti

What's really good? making roesti the bottom part of an egg's "benedict" stack in lieu of the English muffin. You're right, fragile, but a fantastic taste combination. I've done this before. My favorite way. It probably has a different name then, but you get the picture.

Thank you, cilantro, and all! I never thought of partially cooking the potatoes before grating. I have never been able to recapture the taste, though in Wisconsin most family style restaurants made them. Here in the Chicago area I've given up ordering them, as they are never "right".

Potato pancakes with grated potatoes in a pancake batter is the only way I like them, linnea. I know what you mean--I'm afraid to order them in a restaurant because I've gotten too many that were just awful, tasted like they were made with instant mashed potatoes with a real dense texture...verging on being inedible.