Smoked Trout Potato Cakes with Soft Eggs
Crisp potato cakes, smoky trout, and soft eggs make a diner-style breakfast with a bright herb finish.
Prep: 10 · Cook: 20 · Total: 30 · Serves: 4 · Difficulty: Easy · Rating: 4.9/5 (176 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
This original breakfast combines the comfort of a potato cake with the clean smoke of trout and a bright yogurt sauce. It is designed for leftover mashed potatoes but works just as well with freshly cooked potatoes cooled briefly.
Story
Casey loves a breakfast that makes leftovers feel like a plan instead of an accident. The trout adds a little smoke, the cakes get those golden skillet edges, and the soft eggs bring everything together. A spoonful of lemony yogurt keeps the plate fresh. It feels like a weekend diner order, even when the clock says Tuesday.
By Casey
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold mashed potatoes
- 4 ounces hot-smoked trout, flaked
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 4 large eggs
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Stir the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and dill in a small bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and set it aside.
- Mix the mashed potatoes, smoked trout, scallions, egg, panko, and salt in a bowl until evenly combined.
- Divide the mixture into eight portions and shape each into a 1/2-inch-thick cake with damp hands.
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the cakes for 3 to 4 minutes per side, working in batches, until deeply golden and hot in the centers.
- While the last cakes cook, fry the eggs in a second skillet until the whites are set and the yolks remain soft.
- Spoon the lemon-dill yogurt onto four plates, add two potato cakes and one egg to each, and finish with black pepper and extra dill.
Chef Tips
- Cold, fairly dry mashed potatoes hold together best. If yours are loose, add another tablespoon of panko.
- Keep the cakes thin so the centers heat before the crust gets too dark.
- Hot-smoked trout has a firmer texture than cold-smoked salmon and flakes cleanly into the mixture.
- Refrigerate shaped uncooked cakes for up to 1 day and cook them straight from the fridge.
Cook's Notes
- **Potato texture:** Use cold, fairly dry mashed potatoes so the cakes stay sturdy.
- **Trout swap:** Flaked cooked salmon or canned salmon can stand in for hot-smoked trout.
- **Skillet heat:** Medium heat lets the cakes brown before the panko scorches.
- **Make ahead:** Shape the cakes the day before, cover, and refrigerate, then cook as directed.