I asked The Meat Eater to get me some potatoes from the supermarket.   I didn’t write down exactly the type of potato I wanted as I just wanted one large-ish potato and wasn’t really bothered which type and the only type I didn’t want and didn’t expect him to buy was new potatoes. 

So he came back with new potatoes.  Sigh.  He asked what I was making and I said potato cakes with mushrooms and he said can’t he just have potatoes and mushrooms? and so I said no.

Still, we had some old-ish potatoes in the cupboard, so I cut off the sprouty bits and used them instead.

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The recipe says it makes a substantial main course.  Which is rubbish.  I made it more substantial by serving it with sausages and something else now that I can’t remember.

Oven-baked potato cakes with mushrooms and thyme (taken from Leith’s Vegetarian Bible)
Serves 4

Oil, for brushing
450g/1lb floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper
55g/2oz butter
1 egg yolk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
Plain flour, for shaping
Chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley, to garnish

For the filling
450g/1lb mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
30g/1oz butter
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Lemon juice
1 tablespoon dry sherry

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.  Brush a baking tray with oil.
  2. Peel and quarter the potatoes and cook them in boiling salted water until tender.
  3. Drain the potatoes and return to the pan.  Mash over a low heat.  Remove from the heat and add the butter and egg yolk.  Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and beat well.
  4. Divide the mixture into 8.  With floured hands shape into flat cakes about 10cm/4in in diameter.  Place on the baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Turn, using a fish slicer, and bake for a further 15 minutes.
  5. About 10 minutes before the potato cakes are ready, make the filling:  Cut the mushrooms into chunky pieces.  Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan.  Add the butter and when foaming, briskly fry the mushrooms until tender.  Add the garlic, thyme and lemon juice to taste and season with salt and pepper.  Fry for a further 2 minutes.  Add the sherry and bring to the boil, scraping any sediment from the base of the pan.
  6. Lift 4 of the potato cakes on to 4 individual plates.  Divide the filling between them and top with a second potato cake.  Sprinkle with the parsley.

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