Pea shoot potato cakes

A great addition to the Sunday breakfast or a mid-week brunch - the pea shoots give a modern twist on an Irish classic.

The flavours here are enhanced with smoked paprika, giving it an earthy undertone.

I've also used rocket in exactly the same way.  The sharpness is more suited for a later meal and is an ideal accompaniment for steamed salmon or pan-fried blackened cod.


Ingredients

• 250 grams of cold cooked potato, crumbled into small pieces
• 75 grams of pea shoots, chopped roughly
• 2 large eggs, lightly whipped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 level teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons of corn oil

Method

Mix the potato and pea shoot thoroughly and add the eggs and seasonings.  Combine and the resulting green salad takes on the more familiar thick potato batter like consistency.  Finally, add the sweet smoked paprika to taste. 

Allow the mixture to rest for five minutes. 

Heat a medium sized frying pan over a medium to high heat and add the first tablespoon of oil.  At the same time, turn your oven onto it's lowest warming setting and place an oven proof plate to warm.

Using a dessert spoon, add four spoons of the batter to the hot oil in four separate piles.  Flatten each one slightly and then add a further spoonful on top of each and again flatten each of them.

The potato cakes will take a few minutes to brown.  You may want to lower the heat slightly - depending upon the intensity of your hob.

Turn the cakes over to brown the other sides and add to your warm plate/oven whilst you do your second batch.

Great with strips of bacon, or using the same pan, slices of haloumi and/or a poached egg.  Just what you need on Winter's morning.