Category Archives: Appetizer

Appetizer, Vegetable

Potato, Three-Cheese, & Swiss Chard Cakes

These colorful potato patties are reminiscent of panfried gnocchi with lots of greens and cheese added. Much easier to shape than gnocchi, and completely flour-free, they are an ideal side dish to meat or poultry, or a satisfying appetizer served atop arugula dressed with lemon juice and  olive oil or, as in the picture below, shredded green cabbage cooked with mustard seeds and garlic until browned at the edges and limp.

Feel free to use spinach or beet greens or Tuscan kale instead of the Swiss chard, and to swap out goat cheese for the Feta, or Pecorino for the Parmigiano; you really can’t go wrong with potatoes, greens, and cheese cooked in a bit of olive oil until golden on the outside and creamy on the inside!

Serves 2 as a side dish or appetizer

  • 1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
  • 2 ounces whole-milk Ricotta
  • 1 ounce French Feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 ounce freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bunch Swiss chard, washed thoroughly
  • 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili pepper
  • 2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced

Place the potatoes in a saucepan. Cover with cool water  and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook until just tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Reserve the cooking water, but remove the potatoes from the saucepan, drain, and cool.

Peel the potatoes and place in a bowl. Crush with a fork, leaving some small chunks for  a more interesting texture. Stir in the Ricotta, Feta, and Parmigiano. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and all the pepper. Set aside.

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Return the potato cooking water to a boil. Remove the stems from the Swiss chard (reserve it for another use; I love the stems boiled, then tossed with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper). Drop in the Swiss chard leaves  and cook 3 minutes, or until floppy. Drain, cool, and squeeze dry. Chop the leaves finely.

Place 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet. Add the chili flakes, scallions, and garlic.  Cook over medium heat until the scallions are soft, about 3 minutes.

Add the Swiss chard leaves  and cook until they are wilted and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir into the potato mixture and allow to cool thoroughly.

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Compact the mixture with your hands and shape into 4 patties, each about 1 -inch thick.

Wipe out the nonstick skillet. Place it on medium heat. Brush it with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil.

Place the potato patties in the skillet and cook until golden and crisp on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Brush the tops of the potato patties with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil.

Flip the potato patties carefully. Cook until the other side is also golden and crisp, about 5 more minutes. Serve hot.

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Appetizer

Spicy Beef-Stuffed Potato Pancakes with Minty Yogurt

Pugliese cooks make delicious “pizze” using boiled potatoes and flour for the crust; similar to gnocchi dough, the potato dough is moist and supple and lends itself beautifully to various toppings, most commonly tomatoes, Mozzarella, and herbs.

A few weeks ago, I found myself with some leftover boiled potatoes and raw beef chuck, so I decided to try the Pugliese potato dough to encase a spicy beef filling. I shaped the mixture into small pancakes, and after a brief bake in a hot oven, the pancakes were golden and lightly crisp on the outside, moist and flavorful on the inside. At first glance, my husband thought the pancakes looked like chocolate chip cookies, so he was quite surprised when they appeared on his plate for lunch!

Don’t be put off by the long ingredient list; the recipe comes together easily and quickly, and the pancakes can be shaped up to 12 hours ahead and refrigerated until ready to pop in the oven.

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as an appetizer


For the potato dough:

  • 3/4 pound Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
  • 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely ground

For the beef filling:

  • 1/4 pound ground beef chuck (80% lean)
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane
  • 1 small yellow onion, grated on the coarse side of a box grater
  • 2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

For the yogurt sauce:

  • 1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

To cook:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Make the potato dough: Place the potatoes in a 4-quart pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, peel, pass through a ricer onto a counter, and cool to room temperature. Add the flour, salt, pepper, and fennel seeds, and gather the ingredients until they come together into a dough. Do not overwork the dough or it will get sticky and require additional flour. Shape into a ball, roll into a log, and cut into 16 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Set on a lightly floured counter, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside. (The dough will start to stick it is left on the counter too long, so it is essential that you flour the counter under the balls of dough.)

Make the beef filling: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Mash well with your hands to combine; cook a tiny bit of filling to check for seasoning, and adjust as needed. Divide the filling into 16 equal mounds on a plate.

Make the yogurt sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl; refrigerate until needed.

To cook: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Oil the parchment with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

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Take one ball of dough and cup it in one hand. Place a mound of beef filling in the middle of the dough. Press down with your free hand and then gather the dough up and over the filling to enclose. Flatten gently between the palms of your hands and place on the oiled parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Brush the tops of the pancakes with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (preferably set on convection bake). Bake the pancakes 12 minutes; remove from the oven and flip them over. Return them to the oven and bake another 12 minutes, or until golden on top and just starting to get a bit crisp. Serve hot, with the yogurt sauce.

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Appetizer

Fontina & Sage Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Zucchini blossoms seem to me the embodiment of summer. Their time is short, their flavor delicate, their essence as ephemeral as summer itself. And while I love deep fried zucchini blossoms (I dredge them in a batter of sparkling cold water and flour, barely beaten so there are still a few lumps left), baked zucchini blossoms are an everyday indulgence I feel far more virtuous bringing to the table. When it comes to zucchini blossoms, less is more: less stuffing, less salt, less cooking allows their gentle flavor to shine through. So even though it may seem like the cheese stuffing is skimpy, it’s not; it’s just enough to give a luscious melting quality without overwhelming the floral flavor of the blossoms.

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Serves 2

  • 16 zucchini blossoms
  • 1 ounce Fontina from Val d’Aosta, rind removed, cut into 16 very thin slices
  • 16 small sage leaves, stems removed
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Trim each zucchini blossom carefully by first removing the small dark green leaves at the base of each blossom and then trim away the long stem so there is only about 1/4-inch left. With a paring knife, make a small vertical incision at the base of the each blossom and with your fingers pull out the stamen or pistil. It tastes bitter so it must be removed.

Gently rinse the blossoms under running water (there are often little insects lurking inside) and place on a layer of paper towels to dry off. The blossoms need to be dry before they are baked or they will steam rather than turn golden and crisp at the edges.

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Stuff each blossom with a slice of Fontina and a sage leaf.

Oil the parchment paper lining the tray and place the stuffed zucchini blossoms on it, with the opening facing up. Using a pastry brush, brush with olive oil. Season very lightly with salt and pepper.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the Fontina melts and the blossoms are golden. Serve hot.

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Appetizer, Main Course: Vegetarian

Provolone & Sundried Tomato “Piadine”

I am taking liberties here by naming these crispy, flaky flatbreads piadine. Piadine are from Emilia-Romagna, thin breads flavored with lard and raised by baking soda, griddled to a golden color and folded around Prosciutto, salty cheeses, or greens, depending on the occasion and the appetite. The recipe below tastes like a hybrid between a piadina and a thin focaccia; to make it, you need a good quality flour tortilla (homemade or store-bought).

At my cooking school in New York City, I stuff flour tortillas with cheese and roasted chicken, or cheese and arugula, or cheese and sundried tomatoes, or cheese and… you name it! We serve these addictive “piadine” as finger foods, and no one can ever get enough of them. Everyone wants the recipe. So, finally, here it is: nothing could be easier.

You can freeze the piadine after stuffing and before baking, wrapped in parchment and enclosed in freezer-safe plastic bags; just defrost a few hours before you are ready to serve. They make a great meal with a green salad alongside, or impressive (and easy) finger foods when cut into triangles after baking, as in the photo here.

Makes 2 piadine (serves 1 as a main course, 6 as finger food)

  • 4 flour tortilla shells
  • 3 thin slices mild Provolone or fresh Mozzarella (3 ounces total)
  • 4 sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained and minced
  • 2 pitted green or black olives, minced
  • 12 basil leaves, thinly sliced, or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees(preferably set on convection bake). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place 2 flour tortilla shells on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Top each with half of the Provolone, sundried tomatoes, olives, and basil. Top each with a second tortilla shell.

Brush with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden and crisp. Serve hot, cutting each into quarters as a main course or into 12 triangles as finger food.

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Appetizer

Fall Salad of Pomegranate, Seckel Pears, Feta, & Roasted Beet

Salads are the most amazing food. What else allows you to play as freely with texture, color, and flavor? Desserts, I suppose; but desserts are far more contrived, the result much further from the original ingredients. A good salad just draws on the nature of each ingredient to create an amazing whole. The salad below, which has quickly become our favorite over the last few weeks, is a prime example of how you can combine contrasting elements to create a truly spectacular dish with little effort.

Start with sweet, earthy baby beets, and roast them. Slice crisp Seckel pears, skin and all. Toast nutty pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Pop ruby-hued, tart pomegranate seeds out of their sheath. Crumble salty Feta. Line a platter with refreshing leaves of lettuce. Enjoy. Crave the rest of the week, until you make it again.

A delicious variation: swap peppery arugula for the lettuce, and toasted hazelnuts for the seeds.

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Serves 2 as an appetizer

  • 1 large beet or 2 medium beets, about 1/2 pound total, scrubbed and trimmed
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
  • 1/8 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 ripe Seckel pears, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
  • 1 pomegranate
  • 1 small head oak leaf or other curly, sweet lettuce, washed, dried, torn into bite-size pieces
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 ounce French Feta, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the beets on a sheet of aluminum foil, sprinkle with the Kosher salt, and wrap to enclose in the foil. Place on a baking sheet. Roast in the preheated for 1 hour, or until tender and easily pierced with a knife. Cool, then unwrap and remove the skins with a sharp knife or by rubbing with paper towels. Cut into thin slices and place in a small bowl. Pour on 1 tablespoon of the Sherry vinegar, and season with 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Set aside to steep for 10 minutes or up to 2 hours at room temperature.

In a small bowl, toss the sliced pears with the lemon juice. Set aside for 10 minutes (but no longer than 30 minutes, or the pears will become mushy).

In a small, dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sunflower and pumpkin seeds until golden, stirring often, about 3 minutes; set aside.

Cut the pomegranate in half along the width (in other words, along the Equator line). Working over a bowl to catch the juices and stray seeds, remove the seeds from the pomegranate. Pick out any bits of papery skin.

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When you are ready to serve, toss the greens with the remaining tablespoon of Sherry vinegar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Add the olive oil and toss again. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Divide among 2 plates.

Top with the beets and any of their marinade, followed by the pears and any of their juices. Scatter the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds, and Feta over the top. Serve at once, before the greens wilt.

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Appetizer

Broccoli Raab & Pecorino Bread Pudding

Bread puddings are an ingenious vehicle for stray bits of vegetables and cheese, stale bread, even excess steamed milk from your morning cappuccino. I don’t think I’ve ever made a bread pudding I didn’t like. The key is to taste the custard before adding the bread to ensure it is properly seasoned (in fact, season it more than you think is necessary, as the bread is neutral and requires additional seasoning). The vegetables should also be seasoned properly, so taste, taste, taste!

I prefer my bread puddings firm rather than wobbly, so I add plenty of eggs to bind the mixture properly. I also like lots of vegetables, and usually opt for greens like spinach, arugula, or broccoli raab. The vegetables should be cooked before being folded into the custard base, so they become a silky part of the whole rather than a distinct component.

Serve the bread pudding below with a simple green salad as a main course, and experiment with other vegetables if you’re inspired at the market. Just be sure to pair the cheese with the vegetable: Gruyere is lovely with mushrooms; Parmigiano with spinach; Scamorza with fennel… You get the idea.

Makes 1 large bread pudding (serves 8 as an appetizer, 4 as a main course)

For the broccoli raab:

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ teaspoon chili flakes
  • 1 large bunch broccoli raab, tough stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped (about 1 pound prior to trimming)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup water

For the bread puddings:

  • extra-virgin olive oil for greasing the roasting pan
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
  • ¼ pound day-old white sliced bread, torn into 1/2-inch pieces
  • ¼ pound thickly sliced Pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice

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Make the broccoli raab: Preheat the oven to 375° (preferably set on convection).

Place the olive oil, garlic, and chili in a 12-inch sauté pan. Warm gently over medium heat until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli raab, season with the salt, and sauté 5 minutes, or until wilted. Add the water and continue to cook until the water evaporates and the raab is soft, about 5 more minutes. Cool to room temperature and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Make the bread pudding: Brush an 8-inch square roasting pan with olive oil.

Beat the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and ½ cup of the Pecorino in a large bowl with a whisk until aerated and some bubbles have formed in the mixture. The longer you beat, the lighter the bread pudding will be. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Add the bread and the sautéed raab. Mix gently with your hands so the bread soaks up some of the liquid, but do not overmix or the bread will disintegrate and lose its texture.

Spoon the mixture in the prepared roasting pan and dust with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Pecorino. Scatter the Pancetta over the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until set, golden-brown on top, and bubbling. Let rest 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve hot.

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Appetizer

Corn & Scallion Fritters

Summer is corn season. We eat corn almost daily, usually just boiling it for 3 minutes, scraping it off the cob and savoring it plain, sprinkled with sea salt. But there are times I’ll hunger for corn soup or chowder, and times when a corn fritter beckons. Today was one of those days.

Almost anything is delicious in a fritter: boiled or raw vegetables; cooked grains; bits of savory meat; cheese and herbs… all benefit from a quick jump in a hot skillet with olive oil. But corn fritters are somehow even more addictive, perhaps because of corn’s natural juiciness and sweetness. Serve these fritters as a side to meat or fish, or with a lovely green salad as a starter. If you happen to be entertaining, they make perfect finger food as long as you make them no more than silver dollar-size.

Serves 2 as an appetizer

For the fritters:

  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves (optional)
  • 1 ear fresh corn, kernels scraped
  • 2 scallions, white and green parts, very thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

To serve:

  • 2 packed cups baby greens, washed and dried
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • juice of 1/4 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Place the egg in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the flour, beating vigorously with a whisk until the mixture is perfectly smooth. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne, and thyme, and whisk again. Add the scraped corn kernels and scallions, and stir with a rubber spatula to incorporate. Set aside for no more than 10 minutes (if the batter rests too long, the corn may exude moisture and result in watery fritters).

To cook: Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over a medium-high flame for 2 minutes, or until quite hot but not smoking. Brush with half of the olive oil. Spoon in the batter, making 6 equal-sized fritters, spacing the fritters about 2 inches apart. Cook for 3 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Brush the tops with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and flip. Cook until the second side is also golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Remove to a plate.

To serve: While the fritters are cooking, toss the greens with the salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and then the olive oil. Toss to combine. Adjust the seasoning if needed. Pile onto 2 plates. Top with the fritters and serve at once, before the fritters cool down and the greens wilt.

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Appetizer

Fennel & Dill Salt-Cured Salmon over Baby Greens

Every summer, when it gets very hot, my husband and I salt-cure a salmon filet. It’s not only a quick thing to do; it yields enough fish to easily feed a dozen people and maybe even find yourself with leftovers the next day for topping crostini with Mascarpone and chives, or enriching a plate of homemade egg tagliatelle.

Basically a gravlax, this recipe requires only a pristine piece of salmon (I much prefer wild sockeye for its clean, intense flavor), sea salt, sugar, a few herbs and spices, and 48 hours of patience. Most gravlax recipes have you enclose the salmon in plastic while curing in the refrigerator; I find the flavor brighter if the fish is simply allowed to sit in a covered container, where it can breathe.

The most important thing when you are ready to serve the salmon is to use a very sharp knife to slice it as thinly as possible, and to serve it very, very cold.

If you aren’t sure about the weight of the salmon, weigh it; the amount of salt prescribed is for a 2-pound filet. If the filet is smaller, it will end up too salty; if it is bigger, it may lack flavor. Adjust the quantity of salt and sugar according to the weight of the salmon filet.

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Serves 8 as an appetizer

For the salmon:

  • 1 filet wild sockeye salmon (2 lbs), skin on, scales and pin bones removed, rinsed and blotted dry
  • 2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 1/4 cup fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
  • grated zest of 1 lemon

For the salad:

  • 5 ounces baby greens, washed and dried
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Make the salmon: Place the salmon in a deep storage container with a tight-fitting lid, or in a large roasting pan.

Place the fennel seeds and black peppercorns in a mortar and crush with a pestle (or use a spice grinder) until medium-coarse in texture. The spices should not become pulverized, as a bit of coarseness adds to the visual and textural appeal of the final dish. Place in a small bowl and add the salt, sugar, dill, and lemon zest, and mix well.

Spread the mixture all over the salmon, on both the skin and the flesh side, putting a little more on the flesh side.

Arrange the salmon with the flesh side up. Cover the container with its lid or the roasting pan with a piece of aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 48 hours.

When you are ready to serve, blot the salmon filet on several layers of paper towels (I blot the skin side as well as the flesh side, but I try to leave the spicing intact if possible). Using a very sharp knife, cut into nearly transparent slices, leaving the skin behind and working the knife at an angle so the slices come out wider. Place the slices on a platter while you prepare the salad.

Make the salad: Toss the greens with the salt and pepper in a deep bowl. Add the lemon juice and toss again, then add the olive oil and toss one final time. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Pile onto 8 plates. Top with the sliced salmon and enjoy immediately.

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Appetizer

Spaghetti Frittata with Onions, Pancetta, and Parmigiano

Frittata is an amazing food: main course, appetizer, finger food, snack… whatever time of day, it works, it satisfies, and it is easy to make. Best of all, frittata is an ideal way to use up leftover ingredients. You can add chopped roasted vegetables, diced Prosciutto, bits of runny or firm cheeses, even boiled pasta. Below is a frittata with the flavors of carbonara sauce, a delicious combination of Pancetta, Parmigiano, and black pepper. I add sauteed onions for a delicately sweet note. For a vegetarian version, omit the Pancetta and add 1/2 pound of diced button mushrooms to the onions.

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side dish

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 pound spaghetti
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, minced
  • 1/4 pound Pancetta, defatted and cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of the salt and the spaghetti. Cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain and place in a bowl.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs vigorously for 2 minutes with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper; the longer you beat the eggs, the fluffier and lighter your frittata will be.

Add the boiled spaghetti before it cools off and starts to stick together, and stir quickly to prevent the eggs from scrambling, as the spaghetti is hot.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, place 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, the onion, and the Pancetta. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring once in a while, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes, adding a bit of water if needed to prevent scorching. Add to the eggs and spaghetti in the bowl, stirring quickly to prevent the eggs from scrambling, as the Pancetta and onion are hot. Stir in the Parmigiano.

At this point, I usually taste for seasoning and adjust as needed; if you are concerned about eating raw egg, you can certainly cook a small portion of frittata first before tasting.

Place the same skillet on a medium flame and brush with 1 teaspoon the olive oil. When the skillet is hot, after about 1 minute, pour in the frittata mixture. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, or until the bottom is golden and the top is set.

Using the lid for easy flipping, invert the frittata onto the lid. Place the empty skillet back on the heat and brush with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Slice the frittata back into the skillet, uncooked side down. Cook, uncovered, for 5 more minutes, or until golden and set on the bottom as well.

Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

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Appetizer

Potato Pancakes with Ricotta-Basil Pesto

These pancakes are neither crispy nor light. Rather, they are moist and fluffy, with delicately browned exteriors and a sweet, pure potato flavor. There are no eggs added, no flour, no leavening agents; they are essentially mashed potato patties browned in a hot skillet. I love them as a simple first course, but they also make a lovely side dish to roasted meats or poultry, and are very satisfying with assorted cheeses, cured meats, and a light green salad as a main course.

For the pancakes:

  • ½ pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peel on (2 small potatoes or 1 large potato)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing onto the spatula

For the pesto:

  • ¼ cup fresh whole-milk Ricotta
  • ½ cup packed basil leaves, washed thoroughly and dried
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Make the pancakes: Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cool water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender when pierced with a knife, about 25 minutes for small potatoes or 40 minutes for large potatoes. Drain and cool to room temperature, then peel and coarsely grate on the large holes of a box grater. Set aside until completely cool; ideally, let the grated potatoes rest at room temperature, uncovered, for 4 hours (or up to 12 hours) before cooking the pancakes, so the potatoes have a chance to dry out a bit; this will make the pancakes lighter.

Meanwhile, make the pesto: Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. The pesto will be quite thick, which is intentional; if you prefer a more fluid pesto, as for coating pasta, add more extra-virgin olive oil with the motor of the food processor running until you achieve a consistency you like. Refrigerate the pesto until needed (up to 12 hours), covering the top tightly with plastic wrap so the pesto does not darken.

When you are ready to cook, add the salt and pepper to the potatoes. Mix to combine. Taste and adjust if needed; it is likely that they will need more salt. Compact the potato mixture into 4 even mounds on a plate and press with your hands to flatten.

Bring the pesto to room temperature when you are ready to serve, so its flavor is not muted by the cold of the refrigerator.

To cook the pancakes: Brush both sides with the olive oil. Warm a 12-inch nonstick skillet over a medium-high flame for 2 minutes, or until quite hot but not smoking. Add the potato pancakes and press gently with a wide spatula (brush the spatula first with olive oil to prevent it from sticking to the potatoes) to compact further into flat pancakes. Cook 5 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp on the bottom. Turn and cook another 5 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp on the bottom. Serve hot, with the pesto.

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