Different Potato Recipe

Mmmm. Fish Fries. We had a lot of catfish in our Fish Fries, and the big ones down south were sometimes even held outside. Huge cast iron skillets over grills and pots of grease for the french fries and the Hush Puppies. I could eat my weight, which is considerable, in Hush Puppies.

I remember well the first time my husband, product of the West Coast, had Hush Puppies. We were down in South Carolina on a visit and stopped at a cafeteria type place for dinner. It had some nice looking fried fish and after ordering it, the woman at the serving counter asked if he wanted Hush Puppies to go with it. Only problem was that he couldn’t understand her thick accent and kept asking her what she was saying. I finally had to interpret, and we all learned that he had never heard of a Hush Puppie. I suppose that before the chain fast food fish places came along, people outside the south hadn’t heard of Hush Puppies. Needless to say, he was an instant convert to the cornmeal balls.

Now that fresh tomatoes are coming on in the garden, it is time to think of interesting ways to use them. Personally, I could eat a plate of sliced tomatoes for lunch and dinner and never tire of them, but there are those who want some variety.

I have seen this recipe in only one place. It is in a North Carolina cookbook from the early 1950’s, but the recipe was supposed to date from about 1900. The author explained that Albemarle was a county in North Carolina that was famous for its variety of potatoes. Wonder if they still have that local industry? This is almost a meal in itself. Just add a salad and dessert.

Albemarle Potato Surprise:

2 cups hot mashed potatoes
1 egg, beaten
dash pepper
1/2 cup grated cheese (any type you like)
Melted butter
6 Tomato slices
Butter bread crumbs
Additional grated cheese

Mix the egg, potatoes, pepper, and 1/2 cup of cheese together. Shape into thick patties. Place on a well-buttered baking casserole like the KitchenAid 3-Qt. Casserole, and brush with melted butter. Place a tomato slice on each patty, sprinkle with buttered breadcrumbs and a little cheese.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve at once.

Serves 6.

For efficiency, make up your regular mashed potatoes (plus 2 cups) one night for dinner. Please, no instant! Then prepare the Surprise the next day. Or to really cut down prep time, go ahead and make the patties in the casserole while fixing dinner. The next day all you have to do is slice the tomatoes and add the crumbs and cheese. Easy and quick meal.