St. Patrick's Day breakfast: pratie oaten

For much of my early life, I was not aware of the strands of Irish in our family. English and Welsh, yes, but very little mention of Irish. That all changed when my father began exploring our genealogy; suddenly we heard of O'Hanlon, Hughes, Fitzgerald, Leary, Butler, Merwin, and Sullivan in our family tree. And I discovered traditional Irish music in the car one day, listening to the radio. The pounding of the bodhran drum, the whistles and fiddles, the rising up in joy, and the depth of the sorrow. I was so overcome, I had to pull off the highway. I guess that Irish gene was announcing itself.

So to celebrate all things Irish, I made a traditional potato dish called Pratie Oaten, from a small book I found called From Celtic Hearths . It's really more like a hash brown with mashed potatoes and oats - I divided the soft dough and added some chopped scallions and bacon crumbles for a little interest. You fry them up in a skillet with bacon fat ( or oil) and serve with a smile and a twinkle in your eye.

To make:

3 large potatoes, scrubbed

1 cup rolled oats ( not the instant one)

1 stick melted, unsalted butter

salt to taste

chopped scallions (optional)

crumbled bacon (optional)

a few tablespoons bacon fat, oil, or butter.

Boil the potatoes in their skins until done - about 25 minutes.

Drain and mash, or whip in mixer bowl.

Add the melted butter, salt, and oats to the potatoes and mix to make a soft dough. If adding the scallions and bacon, mix them in now.

Sprinkle a little flour on the board and gently roll or pat the dough to a thickness of 1/2". Cut out rounds with a glass or cookie cutter.

Heat oil, bacon fat, or butter in a skillet and fry until golden brown.

Enjoy!