SAUSAGE-STUFFED POTATO PANCAKES

Sausage-Stuffed Potato Pancakes image

They say that just because you can do something, doesn't always mean you should. One could argue that this recipe is one of those times, since we could just cook some sausage and serve it next to our potato pancakes-but I could, and did, stuff mine with sausage, and I very much enjoyed how they came out. Besides, if you're going to skip the sausage stuffing, this recipe is a reminder of just how easy potato pancakes are to make.

Provided by Chef John

Time 35m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

6 ounces Italian sausage links, casings removed
1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg, beaten
2 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons diced roasted red peppers
3 tablespoons sour cream, or to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, or to taste

Steps:

Divide sausage into 6 equal pieces, and press between plastic wrap to flatten into discs about 2 1/2 inches round and about 1/8 inch thick. Keep in the refrigerator until needed.
Grate potatoes and transfer into a large bowl of cold water. Stir the grated potatoes with your hand for a few seconds, and then drain the potatoes in a strainer. Using your hands and/or a towel, squeeze out as much water as possible.
Transfer the potatoes to a mixing bowl. Add salt, black pepper, cayenne, flour, and egg; mix thoroughly.
Heat oil in large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. For each pancake, place down about 3 tablespoons of the potato mixture. Reduce heat to medium; top each pancake with a sausage patty, pressing it down lightly into the surface. Top each sausage patty with another heaping tablespoon of potato mixture and spread over the top until the sausage is covered. Flatten down with a spoon or spatula.
Cook the first side until very well browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until browned, the sausage is no longer pink, and potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes more. Serve with diced roasted red peppers, sour cream, and fresh chives.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 242.4 calories, Carbohydrate 23.4 g, Cholesterol 45.1 mg, Fat 13.4 g, Fiber 2.7 g, Protein 7.6 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, Sodium 590 mg, Sugar 1.3 g