Grandma Tate’s Potato Pancakes

One of my first food memories was in my grandmother’s Philadelphia rowhouse kitchen, while she was making potato pancakes from left over mashed potatoes. She would make a patty out of a ball of potatoes, dip them in flour and cook in a cast iron pan with melted butter. Over the years I’ve taken that concept and updated it with my own point of view, added poached eggs, and hot sauce!

Ingredients
Left over mashed root vegetables or mashed potatoes
1 large jalapeno finely chopped
½ large onion finely chopped
½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
½ cup corn meal
¼ cup AP flour
¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
4 eggs out of the shell (Chicken)
1 egg beaten (optional)
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp Tabasco Chipotle hot sauce (or personal favorite)
2 tbsp butter
Celery/parsley leaves

In a large wide pot filled 4/5ths to the top with water add the apple cider vinegar and ½ tsp of salt, bring to a low boil covered and set heat to maintain. Place the eggs in separate ramekins or small bowls.
Use a large spoon to measure out four meatball sized lumps of mashed root vegetables and place in metal bowl. Add the chopped jalapenos and onions, mix to combine, then make four balls. If the mash is very dry add the beaten egg.
On a flat plate mix the corn meal, flour, breadcrumbs, old bay, and salt/pepper with a fork, then roll the root vegetable balls through it to coat thoroughly.
Melt the butter on a non-stick griddle on medium heat, then place the pancake “balls” on it and lightly “smash” them down. Allow to cook until the bottom starts to brown then carefully flip over and brown the other side. Place two pancakes on each plate.
While the pancakes are cooking, reconfirm the low boil is still going in the pot, swirl the water, then gently add the four eggs into the boiling water they take between 2-3 minutes. Once the eggs start to transform and float, I pull them out with a serrated spoon, drain the water, and add one on top of each pancake. Add chopped celery leaves or parsley, salt and pepper to taste, garnish with hot sauce.