St. Paddy's Green Potato Pancakes with Pale Green Horseradish Drizzle

Source: globalgourmet.com

Yields about twelve (3 to 3 1/2 inch) pancakes.

1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or boiling potatoes,
    cut into large (about 2-inch) pieces
2 teaspoons salt for boiling
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons table cream
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Pale Green Horseradish Drizzle:
4 teaspoons spinach water, reserved from pancake recipe
2 teaspoons reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish

Heat oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Bring a large pot of water (about 4 quarts) to a boil. Stir in 2 teaspoons of salt. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain. Place the potatoes in a large bowl.

While the potatoes cook, thaw the spinach in a microwave. Place the spinach in a sieve over a bowl and press out as much water as possible, reserving about 4 teaspoons for the drizzle.

Heat the butter and cream gently until melted. (A heatproof measuring cup in a microwave on a low setting works well for this). Check every minute or so until butter is melted.

Mash the potatoes together with the spinach, butter mixture, flour, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste.

On a lightly floured surface, pat the mixture into 1/2-inch thick cakes, about 3 1/2 inches across.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet on medium-high until hot. Brown the cakes on both sides (approximately 3 minutes per side), making sure they don't burn. Drain the cooked pancakes on the paper towel-lined baking sheet, and keep warm in the oven until all cakes are made. Serve hot with Pale Green Horseradish Drizzle.

Pale Green Horseradish Drizzle: Mix together the spinach water (4 teaspoons only) with the sour cream and horseradish until smooth. Mixture will be thin. Drizzle it over the pancakes right before serving, or to nap an appetizer plate, drizzle a small amount on the plate and set 2 pancakes on top.