500g floury potatoes, peeled weight (or 500 g store-bought mash)
6 - 8 streaky bacon rashers
75 g cheddar cheese, grated
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
A large handful of chives, finely chopped
6 - 8 tablespoons of cheese (boursin, blue cheese, mozzarella etc.)
Neutral oil, to fry
Freshly ground black pepper
Hot sauce, to serve (optional)
Steps
If using raw potatoes, cut the potatoes into halves or quarters depending on size. Place in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook over a medium to high heat until fork tender.
Meanwhile, pan fry or grill the bacon until crisp, around 8 minutes. Once cooked, allow to cool and then roughly chop.
Drain and allow to steam dry in the colander for 5 minutes. Pass the potatoes through a ricer, or use the back of a wooden spoon to pass them through a sieve (this makes extra smooth mash).
There’s no need to add any milk or butter to the mash, as this makes it a little trickier to shape. Once the mash has cooled a little, mix the mash with the bacon, cheddar, spring onions and most of the chives (save a little to garnish with later). Season well with black pepper.
Use an ice cream scoop to form the patties - place one scoop in your hand, pack with a tablespoon of the melting cheese of your choice inside, then add another scoop of mash to cover it. Use your hands to make sure the cheese is tucked well inside and form into a puck shape. Repeat with the remaining mash.
Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the mash patties for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden and crisp, taking care when turning as they can be quite delicate.
Serve with extra chives and a dollop of hot sauce.
