Potato Cakes (Irish Pratie Oaten)

Pratie oaten are basically Fadge made with oatmeal instead of flour. They make a good breakfast dish, served with eggs and bacon or sausage. Florence Irwin, author of The Cookin' Woman, credits these to County Antrim, and notes tersely after giving her version of the recipe: "Not food for invalids."

2 cups mashed potatoes, warm (420 g)
1 cup Irish rolled oats (160 g)
½ cup butter, softened, or bacon fat, plus more for frying (125 g)
sea salt

Work the potatoes and oatmeal together with your hands in a large bowl to form a soft dough. Mix in the butter or bacon fat and season to taste with salt.

Dust a board with oatmeal, then roll out the dough on it. Cut into 12-16 pieces of similar size and shape, or form into 2-3 flat rounds and cut each into quarters. Fry the cakes, a few at a time, in a nonstick skillet lightly greased with butter or bacon fat. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until the cakes are golden brown.

Makes 4-6 servings.