Sausage Potato Pancakes

We all grow up hearing mom say “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, but I often skip it — and I know I’m not the only one who does.

Sometimes I’m just too lazy in the mornings, or I get bored with eating the same thing over and over.
That's all changing. I’m experimenting more and more now with breakfast, and recipes like this can add variety. This was the first time I’ve cooked these potato pancakes and they were incredible — crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. (In fact, they’re so crispy they actually crackle when you bite into them). Try combining different vegetables, like grated carrots, sweet potatoes, and/or spinach. See what you have in your fridge.
Next time I plan to leave out the sausage and see how they turn out.
Prep time was about 15 minutes and they cooked in another 10 minutes.

Ingredients:
2 large russet potatoes, grated
1/2 large white onion, grated
2 tbs white flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup crumbled and cooked sausage

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tsp crushed dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs

Preparation:
Peel the potatoes, and grate on a cheese grater. Put the grated potato on top of some paper towels and press to release the liquid. Do the same with the large onion.
In a pan, fry the sausage, breaking it up into small pea-sized crumbles. Set aside on a paper towel to drain.
In a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, whisking to make a good mix.
Add the potatoes, onions and sausage. Mix well again.
Place a pancake-sized portion onto an oiled pan and cook about 5 minutes on each side at medium to medium-high heat.

Presentation:
Garnish with cilantro, oregano, or flat-leaf parsley. If you like, top your pancakes with a fried or poached egg.

Prepared on 2011-06-08 (Tulsa, OK), Photographs by Michael Findley