Fried Shoestring Potato Cakes
When I was a kid, my mom always served mint jelly with lamb. It was a ‘50s thing, but it was also her way of sweetening the sometimes gamy flavor of lamb for her five children. My husband still likes mint jelly with lamb, but I don’t. To compromise, I make a fresh mint pesto.
I first had this at a friend’s Easter brunch. David told me the main ingredients, and I immediately went home to figure out the ratios so I could add mint pesto to my repertoire. Here it is, in a perfect shade of green for a St. Patrick’s Day dinner.
Serve each lamb chop with a dollop of pesto. The fried shoestring potatoes are a perfect side dish and, instead of peas, try pea shoots, flowers and all. Serve Black and Tans with dinner and, for dessert, some Irish coffee.
You will have more pesto than you need for this recipe, so save it for use as a condiment. I prefer fig balsamic vinegar for its sweetness, but you can substitute regular balsamic vinegar. Pea shoots can be found in Asian groceries. If you can’t find them, use frisee or watercress.
Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Peel the potatoes, then grate them.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the potatoes with salt. Drop them by spoonfuls into the hot oil, making a total of 8 cakes. Cook them until they’re browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn them over, and cook until they’re browned and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the cakes on paper towels. Keep them warm in the oven until serving.
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