Potato cakes

The recipe for these potato pancakes comes from Jane Grigson's "English Food". I cooked them on a cast iron skillet which, as you can see from the photo, does not heat evenly. I'll try a non-stick aluminium frying pan next time. That said, the dark crusty patches did not detract from the enjoyment.

For each 450g cooked potatoes, you will need 30g butter, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 125g flour and (optional) 1 beaten egg.

If you are using freshly cooked potatoes, mash them (or push them through a ricer) with the butter while they are still hot. If you're using leftovers, you'll have to melt the butter separately.  Combine all the ingredients and mix together quickly, adding more flour if necessary to make a soft - but not sticky - dough. Roll out about 5mm thick and cut into rounds. Fry on a greased skillet until nicely browned, turning over halfway through cooking. The total cooking time will be 10-15 minutes, but you'll have to lower the heat and cook a little longer if you make them thicker.

Grigson tells us "...eat immediately, rolling the cakes like pancakes round little sticks of salty butter." She knows what she's talking about.