Potato and Ham Sandwich

A fried potato turnover rather than a sandwich in the bread sense, and it lives or dies on how firm the potato is before it meets the pan.

• The hinge: chill the potatoWarm, loose mash will slump and split the moment it hits butter. Mix in the eggs, then refrigerate the mixture until it is cold and stiff enough to hold a pinched edge; a mash made with little or no milk works far better than a creamy one.
• A pint of mashed potatoesTwo cups, measured after mashing, from roughly a pound of potatoes. At two tablespoons of potato per side, that is about eight sandwiches.
• "Two eggs without beating"The eggs go in whole and are simply stirred through rather than whipped; the likely point is to bind the mash without lightening it, though the original gives no reason.
• Well seasonedThe original assumes you have already salted and peppered the potato. Do it before the eggs go in, and taste; the ham is the only other seasoning in the dish, so bland potato makes a bland sandwich.
• The hamBoiled ham means the mild, wet-cured deli sort, not a dry country ham. Trim it to a rectangle a little smaller than your potato patty so the edges can be pinched closed with potato meeting potato.
• FryingButter can colour fast, so keep the heat moderate; clarified butter or butter with a spoonful of neutral oil gives more margin. Leave each side undisturbed three to four minutes so a crust sets before you turn it.
• ServingBest straight from the pan while the shell is crisp; they soften quickly. Two per person makes a light supper with a sharp mustard or a green salad.