Savory Breakfast Potato Cakes with Pecan Butter

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cold mashed Idaho® potatoes
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup parsley, chopped (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chives, chopped (optional)
• 3 tablespoons butter, for the pan

Mashed Potatoes

• 2 pounds Idaho® russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 2- inch chunks
• ½ cup whole milk
• ½ cup half and half
• 1 ½ tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Pecan Butter:

• 1 cup pecans
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. If making mashed potatoes: Put potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil over med-high heat. Boil for 15 – 20 minutes. Potatoes are done when easily pierced with a knife. Drain in colander. Let steam escape, ensuring the potatoes are dried out a bit.
2. Combine milk and cream in a small saucepot and warm over medium heat. Place potatoes in a medium bowl, add warm milk mixture and butter.  Beat with hand mixer (or paddle attachment for stand mixer) until smooth, but do not overmix. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Combine cold mashed potatoes with eggs, flour and herbs if using. Heat a tablespoon of butter in a non-stick skillet and drop ½ cup portion (4 oz) of mashed potato mixture into hot pan. With wet fingers, slightly flatten the top of the potato cake. Cook for 4 – 5 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 4 – 5 minutes, until dark golden brown on both sides. Repeat until you’ve used up all of the potato mixture, adding butter to the pan as necessary.
4. Make pecan butter: In a dry skillet or sauté pan, toast pecans for 5 – 7 minutes over medium heat, until fragrant. Cool. In the bowl of a food processor, combine toasted pecans, coconut oil and salt. Let processor run for 2 – 3 minutes, then scrape down bowl. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl as necessary.
5. Serve potato cakes warm topped with pecan butter.

Notes:

Chef’s Notes:

• Making pecan butter may take 5 minutes if you have a new machine or 10 minutes if your machine is a little older. Stop and let the blade cool down for a minute or two if the food processor gets too warm.
• Additional add-ins for potato cakes could include sautéed onions, rosemary, marjoram, curry powder or chili powder.