This recipe has been with me for many years. I have changed the ingredients several times and it always seems to come out tasty and crispy. This version features 3 different cheeses with thin sliced ham. I made this over the weekend and my Granddaughter helped herself to two servings...which is a sign that it was a hit. ;-)
Fee free to change the ingredients, experiment. Use Sausage or bacon instead of ham, different herbs, green onion instead of yellow onions...the sky's the limit. Tailor it to your taste bud preferences. Change up the cheeses too, I believe the original recipe I started with way back when called for "Gruyere" cheese and nutmeg instead of tarragon.
Meet the players...
Ham & Cheese Potato
Straw Cake
4-5 Russet potatoes
1 small onion chopped (or 4-5 green onions sliced thin)
2 Tsp's. Lemon juice
2 Tsp's. Dijon Mustard
1 C. thin sliced ham cut in strips (or other cooked meats)
3/4 C. total cheese of choice
(Here I have mixed mozzarella, cheddar, and grated Parmesan)
1 Tsp. Dried Tarragon crushed
1 Tbs. water
3 Tsp's. Olive oil or other cooking oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 C. fresh parsley
Optional: Lemon zest for garnish and some fresh grated parmesan cheese.
Start by peeling and grating or shredding the potatoes.I like to use the grater in a bowl so I don't get potato everywhere.
Then fill the bowl with enough cold water to cover the potatoes, and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Crush the tarragon if you're using it.
In a Medium size bowl add the water, Lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. Whisk them together well.
Now add the cheeses, parsley, onions, tarragon, and ham into the liquid mixture and mix until well blended.
Time to drain the potatoes. I use a colander to get as much water out as I can. Then place them on a clean kitchen linen towel, or onto several layers of paper towels.
Wrap them up and squeeze as much water as you can out of them. I do it over a bowl, just in case it accidentally comes open or I drop it. (Sometimes I can be a bit clumsy in the kitchen)
Heat 1/2 of the oil in a large non stick pan or heavy skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot add 1/2 of the potatoes. ( be sure you divide the potatoes evenly or you won't have enough to cover the top. I"ve had to quickly peel an extra potato in the past because I used too much of them on the bottom and realized it too late)
Push the potatoes down with a spatula so they evenly cover the bottom. Salt and Pepper this layer.
Now spread the cheese mixture on top evenly. Work a bit quickly, so you don't cook the bottom of the potatoes too long before your layering is done.
Top evenly with the remaining potatoes and sprinkle salt and pepper as you like.
Cover the pan, reduce the heat to med/low and let cook for 20-30 minutes until the bottom is brown and crispy. I check under an edge a couple of times after 20 minutes.
Now we need to get a cookie sheet or flat baking pan to "flip" our potato cake onto. I use a cookie sheet sprayed lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
Before you flip it out, take a thin spatula and go around the edges of the Potatoes to loosen them from the edges and bottom if necessary. We want this to slide out as easily as possible.
Remove the pan from the heat and put on some oven gloves, or use hot pads. Place the cookie sheet over the pan and grab the pan and sheet and flip them over. It's actually easier than it sounds and if you've loosened your potatoes, it will drop right out.
This pic isn't the best, but you can see it came out without falling apart. I have some well done areas on this one, I waited too long to turn the heat down because I was taking pictures. Cooking on an electric stove instead of gas is a learning process.
Place your skillet back on the burner and put the remaining oil in. Turn the heat to high. When the oil is hot, slide the potatoes off the cookie sheet into the skillet. It should slide right off the sheet.
Turn the heat back down to med/low. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, shaking the pan back and forth now and then to keep the potatoes from sticking. When browned and crispy on the bottom, slide it onto a serving plate.
Garnish with some fresh grated parmesan, fresh parsley, and here I've even included some Lemon zest on the top.
I find a dollop of sour cream is wonderful on this.
(Okay, and I"ll admit...I flipped my Straw cake upside down before garnishing. I wanted the less done side showing)
We've got a special plan for the leftovers...it's going to be a great morning!
We had a lovely breakfast with our leftovers. It was good-n-hearty. I fried up some side pork pieces, and used the pork fat with a little butter to fry some eggs. The Potatoes were warming in the oven.
When the eggs were done they went straight on top of the potatoes, sprinkled with some of the crumbled side pork for a topping and a bit of fresh parsley. A side of toast and orange slices finished it off. Grand-Girlie loved it!
