From turkey and lingonberry sauce straight to potato pancakes in a single weekend. Not dangerous!
Hanukkah begins on Sunday night, November twenty eighth this yr, so these celebrating can transfer proper into the vacations whereas nonetheless pondering the remnants of Thanksgiving.
Potato pancakes, or latkes, are the meals most historically related to Hanukkah. Historical past has it that over 2,000 years in the past, after the Second Temple of Jerusalem was looted by intruders, there was solely sufficient oil to maintain the temple menora working for a day and evening. Inexplicably, the oil burned for eight days and eight nights, which earned the vacation the identify “Pageant of Lights”.
Meals cooked in oil akin to donuts and latkes are symbols of this Hanukkah miracle.
Over the previous few many years, many house cooks and cooks have performed round with the components in latkes, used greens akin to beets, zucchini, and butternut squash, and added recent herbs or varied spices. Toppings are one other technique to put a contemporary stamp on latkes – for instance swapping tzatziki for bitter cream.
My household would welcome updates as a further choice, however not a alternative for the old fashioned non-negotiable potato pancake with conventional toppings.
By the way in which, you do not have to be Jewish or have a good time Hanukkah to think about latkes, after all. Small crispy potato pancakes are a beautiful starter, an awesome facet dish – merely a giant previous deal with all yr spherical.
So which cooking oil must you use?
My means is a little bit indulgent and turning to the untraditional, however I wish to cook dinner latkes principally in olive oil with a little bit butter for taste. Control the warmth of the pan; You need it excessive sufficient to make crispy pancakes however not so excessive that it’ll smoke and switch brown.
Do not flip down the flamboyant bottle of additional virgin olive oil; A less expensive bottle of pure olive oil that’s extensively out there at grocery shops works nicely for frying. You may also use vegetable or canola oil.
Serve latkes with bitter cream and applesauce for folks to decide on or combine collectively. Should you’re within the temper for a little bit craving, you possibly can serve this with some budget-friendly caviar or smoked salmon or gravlax and possibly swap the bitter cream for crème fraiche. (Skip the butter and bitter cream if you’re serving meat with the latkes and protecting the meals kosher.)
Lastly, the leftover cranberry sauce makes an awesome addition to latkes. I might be testing this idea within the final week of November, and in the event you do give it a attempt, let me know!
Different objects on a conventional Hanukkah menu might embrace pasta balls, beef brisket with wild mushrooms, Jewish brisket, hen marbella, or hen thighs with onions and inexperienced olives.
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POTATO PANCAKES
Served 6 by means of 8
2 ½ kilos of baked potatoes, peeled
2 giant eggs
½ cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon of matzo flour or flour (non-compulsory)
Kosher salt and freshly floor black pepper to style
Olive oil for cooking (approx. ½ cup)
3 tablespoons of butter for cooking (non-compulsory however advisable)
Bitter cream and / or applesauce for serving
Utilizing the grater blade of a meals processor or a hand grater, rub the potatoes on the blade with giant holes or on the facet. Place the grated potatoes in a big bowl and let sit whereas they launch their liquid.
Within the meantime, combine the eggs and chopped onion in one other giant bowl. Seize a handful of the grated potato along with your arms and squeeze it over the bowl of all the potatoes, squeezing as a lot liquid again into the bowl as you possibly can. Put the squeezed potatoes in parts into the bowl with the eggs.
Dip your finger into the liquid that’s left within the different bowl. You’ll really feel a stable layer of potato starch on the backside. Rigorously pour the liquid off from the highest, then scrape off all the helpful starch from the underside of the bowl and blend nicely with the egg and potato combination (arms are finest for this). This pure starch helps bind the potatoes collectively. Should you solely have a tablespoon or two of the starch, you may need to combine within the non-compulsory matzo flour or flour as nicely. Season generously with salt and pepper.
In a big pan (or two if you wish to pace issues up), warmth a number of tablespoons of olive oil and a couple of teaspoon of butter till the butter is melted and the fats is sizzling. Swirl the pan, then add spoons of the potato combination – as massive or small as you want – and gently press into spherical, flat shapes within the pan. Bake till golden brown and crispy, about 4 to five minutes on either side. You could preserve an in depth eye on the warmth; too low they usually will not brown correctly, too excessive and the oil will begin smoking.
Drain the potato pancakes briefly on kitchen paper and place on a serving plate. Repeat till all the potato combination is used up, including extra oil and butter as wanted (periodically you could need to dump the pan, wipe it briefly, and begin over in the event you discover that the oil is getting by some means darkish and there are too many charred potato and onion items floating round). The potatoes proceed to launch liquid whereas they sit; While you attain the underside of the bowl, give the potato combination a fast squeeze earlier than including it to the recent pan to keep away from splashing. And the potatoes might begin to brown, however in the event you cook dinner them it will not be very noticeable.
Serve the nice and cozy potato pancakes with bitter cream and / or apple sauce.
