Goat cheese—sharp, chalky, a little salty—makes a sound addition to the blandness of a potato cake. The fun is coming across a lump of melting, edgy cheese in among the quietness of the potato. This is what I eat while picking eagle style at the carcass of a roast chicken or wallowing in the luxury of some slices of smoked salmon. It also goes very well with a humble smoked mackerel.

　　

Ingredients

enough for 2

　　cooked potato – 14 ounces (400g)

　　goat cheese – 5 ounces (150g)

　　herbs (thyme, tarragon, parsley) – 4 tablespoons, chopped

　　all-purpose flour – a tablespoon

　　cornmeal (polenta) – 6 tablespoons

　　olive or peanut oil

　　

Step 1

Mash the potatoes with a masher or a fork until they are a mixture of sizes from gravel to pebbles. Cut the goat cheese up into small pieces and fold it into the mash with the chopped herbs. Season generously with salt and black pepper, then stir in the flour.

　　

Step 2

Divide the mixture into fourths and pat each one into a rugged patty roughly 2 1/2 inches (6cm) in diameter. Empty the cornmeal onto a plate, then turn the patties in it.

　　

Step 3

Get a thin layer of oil hot in a shallow, nonstick pan. Lower the patties into the oil and, without moving them, cook for about four minutes, until golden and lightly crisp underneath. Turn them quickly and carefully with a spatula and cook the other side. Drain briefly on paper towels before serving.

　　Tender