VEGETABLE RECIPE - 817
GOLDEN HAM & CHIVE POTATO CAKE
Unsalted butter, softened (for the pan)
2 lb. boiling potatoes, such as round whites from Maine or Long Island
1 heaping tbsp. coarse sea salt
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 med. onion, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
4 lg. egg yolks
4 oz. unsmoked saltcured ham, such
as prosciutto, coarsely chopped
1/4 c. fresh chives, snipped with a scissors
1.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Coat the bottom and sides of the cake pan with butter.
Set aside.
2.
Peel and rinse the potatoes.
Place in a saucepan, and cover generously with cold water.
Add the salt and cook over moderate heat
do not boil
until a skewer inserted in a potato comes away easily, about
20 minutes.
3.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, combine 1 tablespoon of the butter and the onions over moderate heat.
Season lightly, and cook until the
onions are soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
Set aside.
4.
As soon as the
potatoes are cooked, drain them well.
Pass them through the fine grid of a food mill into a large mixing bowl.
(If the potatoes are large,
you may want to
halve or quarter them before passing through the mill.)
With a wooden spoon, stir in the nutmeg, the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and the egg yolks, one
at a time.
Continue stirring vigorously until the butter and egg yolks are
thoroughly incorporated.
The mixture will be thick and slippery.
5.
Fold the onions, ham, and chives into the potato mixture.
Transfer the mixture to the
cake pan, and smooth it out with the back of a spoon.
Place it in the center of the oven and bake, uncovered, until the potato cake is firm and the top is browned, 45 to 50 minutes.
6.
Remove the potato cake from the oven and
transfer it, brownedside up (for the golden top side is the prettier), to a
large platter.
Slice into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield:
6 to 8 servings.
VARIATION:
For very pretty individual potato cakes, bake
these in nonstick muffin tins.
Alternatively, bake the cake in a single 10 1/2 inch round porcelain baking dish.
VEGETABLE RECIPE - 818
SQUASH
CASSEROLE
6 c. (3 lb.) yellow squash, sliced
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 c. shredded carrots
1 c. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. Pepperidge Farm herb crumbs
1/2 c. melted butter
Boil squash and onion 10 minutes.
Drain.
Add carrots, sour cream, and soup. Combine crumbs and butter.
Layer 1/2 crumb mixture in a 9 x 13 pan.
Add squash mixture and top with rest of crumb mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
|