Best Rio Grande Fritter Cakes Recipes

CRISPY MASHED POTATO CAKES

Steps:

• Peel and dice potatoes and add to a large pot. Cover with water and salt the water. Bring to boil over medium heat, and cook until tender. Drain the potatoes and return to hot pot to dry. Transfer potatoes to a bowl. Soften cream cheese in a microwavable bowl and microwave the cream cheese for 20 seconds on high. Add to the potatoes along with sour cream, scallions, zest, egg, salt and pepper, to taste. Mash potatoes to combine mixture.
• Heat the oil and butter in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drop 2-inch mounds of potatoes into skillet and gently press down to flatten a bit. Crisp potatoes until deeply golden on each side, about 7 to 8 minutes total. Mixture makes 8 golden cakes.

BACON WRAPPED BEEF TENDERLOIN STEAKS WITH SPINACH AND CHEESE CAKES

Steps:

• Defrost spinach in microwave. Wring spinach dry by nesting in kitchen towel and twisting towel over garbage bowl or sink until spinach has given off all of its liquid. Place spinach in a medium mixing bowl. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add oil and onion and saute the onion until soft, 5 minutes. Add onion to spinach in bowl and return pan to stove top. Turn off heat.
• Add remaining ingredients to spinach: bread crumbs, cheese, egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Combine mixture with a fork, then form into 3-inch patties. Set aside.
• Line bacon up on meat-safe cutting board a few inches apart. Preheat a second skillet over high heat. Reheat the spinach cakes skillet over medium high heat. Season steaks with salt and pepper and set on bacon slices in the center of each slice. Wrap bacon over steaks. Place seam side down in pan and cook 2 minutes on each side. Add 2 tablespoons oil to spinach cakes pan and set cakes in to cook. Work in 2 batches if necessary. Cook cakes 3 minutes on each side.
• Reduce heat to medium under steaks after the first 2 minutes on each side. Cook meat another 6 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, for medium rare to medium well doneness.
• Remove meat from the pan and let it rest. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and flour and cook together 1 minute. Whisk in wine and deglaze pan. Whisk in broth and thicken sauce 1 minute. Add remaining tablespoon butter and remove skillet from heat.
• Quarter tomatoes lengthwise.
• To serve, set the spinach cakes and steaks beside each other on 2/3 of serving plates and pour sauce evenly over steaks. Scatter a quartered tomato next to spinach cakes on each plate. Drizzle tomatoes with oil, season with salt and pepper and top with chopped chives. Serve plates immediately.

SALMON CAKES

Steps:

• Heat a large, heavy skillet with 1 inch of frying oil over moderate heat.
• Flake the cooked cooled salmon with a fork. Add cracker meal to the bowl and work through the fish with your hands. Add the eggs, seasoning, pepper, chives, dill, pepper sauce, and the zest of one lemon to the bowl. Combine the ingredients well with your hands. If the mixture is a little wet, add a bit more cracker meal. Form 3-inch patties of salmon cakes 1-inch thick. You should yield 8 to 10 cakes. Fry cakes until golden in a single layer 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towel lined plate.
• Toss salad greens with coarse salt and the juice of the lemon you zested. Drizzle the greens with a little extra-virgin olive oil and re-toss the salad to coat.
• Combine mayonnaise, chili sauce and relish in a small dish. To serve, place salmon cakes on a bed of baby greens, 2 cakes per person and top with chili mayonnaise sauce.

HERE'S THE OUTLAW CHEF'S "RIO GRANDE CORNBREAD"

Steps:

• Preheat the grill to medium-high.
• Grill the corn until slightly charred black in some areas and has good color. Remove the corn from the grill to a cutting board and, using a serrated knife, cut the kernels off the cob. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add about 1/8-inch of bacon fat to a 10-inch cast iron skillet and put it in the oven to heat up. While this is going on, mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl add the cornmeal, reserving about 1/8 cup, the salt and the baking soda. When the oil is hot, remove the skillet from the oven and sprinkle the bottom with the reserved 1/8 cup of cornmeal. Stir it into the oil and return the skillet to the oven to brown the cornmeal. In a large bowl add the eggs, creme mexicana, corn, chiles, water, remaining bacon fat and the onions. When the cornmeal roux is nice and brown, remove the skillet from the oven and pour in half of the batter. It should sizzle a little in the hot bacon fat. Now sprinkle the goat cheese evenly across the top of the first layer of batter. Gently pour in the remaining batter, being careful not to upset the layers, and bake until the top is golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving