Lekker Brekker Monday: Potato and bacon cakes

You know I hate to waste leftovers, although it would be disingenuous of me not to admit that there are times when I intentionally make too much of something to be sure that there is something left over to play with the next day.

Like, whenever I cook potatoes. Last night, for instance, I parboiled six potatoes knowing full well I only needed three or four for the roasties we were having with a chicken I was roasting with rosemary and lemon in the air fryer. There are times when leftover recipes need some planning and forethought. So there’ll be potato of some kind with breakfast tomorrow.

But bacon can scheme its way into this breakfast recipe too. ‘Bacon bits’, as they are generally marketed, are not often the best alternative, and their prices are hardly any lower than you’ll pay for a pack of rashers. They tend to be chunky rather than tiny bits that can become like crumbs when fried. Which is better. So rather buy rashers, cook them, and then chop them up.

Start a bit early, so that there’s time for the patties to firm up in the fridge for a while.

Tony’s ​​bacon and potato cakes

(Makes 6)

Ingredients

4 rashers of bacon (any kind)

500 g mashed potato (give or take)

2 or 3 chives, chopped

2 Tbsp flour

1 large egg, beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil and butter for frying

Method

Presuming that the mashed potato has been in the fridge, take it out soon after you wake up so that the potatoes lighten a little. They get a bit claggy in the fridge.

Fry the bacon rashers in a touch of oil until crisp but not ‘glassy’, with the fat especially nice and golden brown. Chop it into small bits.

In a bowl, using a fork (easiest, I think), mix the mashed potato with salt, pepper, the chopped chives, flour, and stir in the bacon bits. 

Quickly beat an egg with a fork and stir it in.

Divide into 6 more or less equal parts (first in three, then each of those separated into another two). Something like that (arithmetic is not my strong suit).

Shape them into patties (a lot of patting them in your hands is needed, which is why they’re called patties). They should be about 1.5 cm thick. Put them on a plate in the fridge for half an hour.

Melt butter in a frying pan, add a little oil, and when hot, fry the patties until golden on both sides, turning once. The heat should be neither too low nor so high that they brown too quickly. Try to resist lifting them up too soon, or they might fall apart.

Fry an egg or two per serving and pop them on top of the patties or alongside. Garnish with parsley or chives. DM

Tony Jackman is Galliova Food Writer 2023, jointly with TGIFood columnist Anna Trapido. Order his book, foodSTUFF, here

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.

This dish is photographed on a plate by Mervyn Gers Ceramics.