For Mia Alessi, cooking isn’t just about the food. The Maryland 14-year-old has created her own baked goods line “Bratty Crocker” — a spin on the Betty Crocker cake mix brand — brought to life through Mia’s quirky Raggedy Ann-style alter ego. She sells her goodies at farmers markets in full costume: her signature red cheeks, cupcake apron and polka dots galore.
But the colourful character is only part of her appeal — her culinary skills have gained her national recognition.
FutureChefs, a new book by Ramin Ganeshram, features Mia’s potato pancake recipe, an update of one her grandfather created in the 1940s. She added more spices and replaced sour cream with crème fraîche, a rich and less-bitter cream. The recipes Mia and “Pop Pop” share help keep them connected, said Michele Alessi, Mia’s mum.
Mia’s advice for making the perfect potato pancake?
Low and slow. Cooking it over reduced heat for a longer period of time will help heat the pancake throughout and allow it to develop a browned crust. When you rush the cooking process, Mia says, the outside tends to burn while the inside stays cold.
POP POP’S POTATO CAKES
Adult help: Yes
Hands-on time: 1 hour
Total time: 7 1/2 hours
Makes: Ten 3 1/2-inch cakes
Kitchen gear: Cutting board, sharp knife, saucepan, measuring cups, measuring spoons, potatomasher, whisk, bowls, large non-stick skillet
Choose potatoes that are similar in size, so they’ll cook evenly.
MAKE AHEAD: The mashed potato mixture needs to be refrigerated for at least six hours or overnight; the formed, coated cakes need to be refrigerated for 15 minutes before they are cooked.
Ingredients
For the pancakes
900g red bliss potatoes, scrubbed and diced
2 tsp salt
4 tbs (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup flour
About 6 tbs olive oil
For the sauce
1/2 cup crème fraîche
3 tbs chopped fresh chives
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Steps
For the pancakes: Combine the potatoes and 1 tsp of the salt in a large, deep saucepan. Add enough water to cover them by 3 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Drain and return to pan; reduce the heat to medium and cook for 1 minute to get rid of any excess moisture.
Reduce the heat to low. Add the butter; once it has softened, use a potato masher to mash the potatoes until they are fairly smooth and the butter is evenly distributed. Whisk in the milk so that it is well blended, then transfer the mashed potatoes to a mixing bowl. Cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least six hours and up to overnight.
Whisk together the remaining teaspoon of salt, the pepper and flour in a bowl.
Divide the chilled potato mixture into 8 to 10 equal portions. Slightly dampen your hands, then form each portion into a patty that is about 3 1/2 inches. Place each one into the flour mixture, turning it over to coat both sides. Shake off any excess flour. Refrigerate for 15 minutes; discard any remaining flour mixture.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: Stir together the crème fraîche, chives and garlic powder in a small bowl.
Heat 3 tbs of the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, carefully add 4 or 5 potato cakes — as many as you can without crowding them. Cook until golden and crisped on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes, then use a spatula to carefully turn them over and cook for 8 to 10 minutes on the second side, until crisped. Transfer to a plate, and cover loosely with aluminium foil to keep warm.
Add some of the remaining oil to the skillet as needed, letting it heat up before cooking the rest of the potato cakes in the same manner.
Serve warm, with the sauce on the side.
Nutrition per serving (based on 10): 250 calories, 3g protein, 20g carbohydrates, 18g fat, 7g saturated fat, 25mg cholesterol, 490mg sodium, 2g dietary fibre, 2g sugar
Adapted from a recipe in FutureChefs: Recipes by Tomorrow’s Cooks Across the Nation and the World, by Ramin Ganeshram.
— Washington Post
