Potato Cakes

Name: Potato Cakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 750 g sebago potatoes; 150 g Plain flour; 30 g cornflour; 1 tsp Baking powder; 220 ml soda water; 1 tsp fine salt; 1 l Vegetable oil; 1 tbsp chicken salt

Crisp, golden Victorian fish-and-chip shop potato cakes with a fluffy, steaming centre, sprinkled generously with chicken salt.

🇦🇺Australia· Victoria

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 40 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 340 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

750 g sebago potatoes — peeled and sliced into 7 mm thick rounds
150 g Plain flour — plus 3 tbsp extra for dusting
30 g cornflour — for extra crispness
1 tsp Baking powder — gives batter a light puff
220 ml soda water — chilled from the fridge
1 tsp fine salt — for parboiling and batter
1 l Vegetable oil — for deep-frying
1 tbsp chicken salt — Australian savoury seasoning, or sea salt flakes

Equipment

•Heavy deep pot or deep frypan
•Slotted spoon or spider
•Wire rack and paper towels
•Whisk
•Mandoline or sharp knife

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 340 kcal
fat: 16 g
carbs: 44 g
fibre: 3 g
protein: 5 g
calories: 340 kcal

Instructions

1
Place potato slices into a large saucepan of cold salted water.
2
Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 4 minutes until just parboiled but still firm.
3
Drain slices carefully and lay them out on a clean tea towel to dry completely.
4
Whisk plain flour, cornflour, baking powder, and a half-teaspoon of salt in a bowl.
5
Pour in chilled soda water and whisk until a smooth, thick batter forms.
6
Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot to 180 C over medium-high heat.
7
Dust cooled potato slices in extra plain flour, tapping off excess.
8
Dip potato slices into the batter using tongs, coating evenly all over.
9
Lower battered slices into hot oil in batches of three or four.
10
Fry for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden and crisp.
11
Transfer to a paper towel-lined wire rack and dust immediately with chicken salt.

Chef's tips

Ensure the parboiled potato slices are completely dry and cool before dusting with flour, or the batter will slip off. Keep the soda water ice-cold to ensure the batter puffs up crisp and light in the oil. Check the oil temperature with a thermometer to prevent the cakes from soaking up oil.

Ingredient substitutions

Sebago potatoes → Russet Burbank or any floury mashing potato
soda water → cold light lager beer or chilled tap water
chicken salt → flaky sea salt and a pinch of sweet paprika

Storage

Best enjoyed immediately, but leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Reheating

Reheat in an oven or air fryer at 200 C for 6 to 8 minutes until crisp; avoid microwaving.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Overcooking the potato slices during parboiling, causing them to break when battered.
•Overcrowding the frypan, which drops the oil temperature and makes the batter soggy.
•Using warm liquid in the batter, which reduces the crisp, airy texture.

Serving suggestions

Serve hot wrapped in white butcher paper alongside battered flake and lemon wedges.Enjoy with a dollop of classic tomato sauce or tartare sauce.Pair with steamed dim sims and hot chips for a classic Melbourne takeaway pack.