Latkes!
Happy Hanukkah to those others who celebrate! Festival of lights, and fried tasty goodness.
Per request from farawaypoints , one traditional Latke recipe, with a few options for variations and a dessert Latke that I fell in love with last year.
Potato Latkes
Ingredients
4 medium potatoes or 3 cups hash-brown style shredded potatoes, so you don't have to.
1 medium onion or 1 cup frozen chopped onion (thawed and drained)
2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg whites
1/4-1/2 cup matzah meal (flour or bread crumbs can be substituted)
1 tsp. baking powder (optional)
1 tsp. each salt and black pepper (more or less to taste)
oil for frying (I use peanut, you can use whatever you want.)
Instructions:
Shred the potatoes and onion into a large bowl. Press to get out all excess liquid. You want them to be slightly dry.
Add eggs and mix well to coat, then add your matzah meal gradually until the batter is doughy, but not too dry. Start with 1/4 cup, add more as needed. You probably will not need the entire 1/2 cup.
Add baking powder if you want light/fluffy cakes - ignore it if you want them more like hashbrown patties.
Then add your salt and pepper and mix well.
In a large skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of oil to medium-high heat - right below the smoking point.
Form the batter into 1/4" patties using about 1/4 cup mixture at a time.
Fry latkes until they are well browned on both sides and crisp around the edges.
Drain well on paper towels.
Latkes can be served immediately or kept warm in the oven at 250 degrees.
Serve with applesauce and sour cream.
Variations:
1. Southwest Latkes - Add 1/2 cup finely diced Jalapeno. This makes them awesome, serve with sour cream.
2. Swap for veggie latkes - instead of 3 cups potato, do 2 cup potato, 1 cup shredded zucchini, and add 1/2 cup diced green pepper. You can also add things like carrots and celery if you really want.
3. Sweet Potato Latkes - Swap potato for sweet potato, add 1/2 tsp cinnamon and all spice to the batter, serve with applesauce!
Apple Latkes
All credit to http://www.jewishfood-list.com/recipes/vegn/latke/latkesapple01.html for this awesome recipe.
Source: Claudia Rosen, "The Book of Jewish Food"
Serves: 4
4 apples, tart or sweet
2 to 3 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. brandy or dark rum, or fruit liqueur
2 eggs, separated
2 tbsp. light vegetable oil
A good pinch of salt
1 cup flour (150g)
7/8 cup water (200ml)
Vegetable oil for frying, preferably sunflower
Superfine sugar for sprinkling on after serving
Core and peel the apples and cut each into 4 thick slices. Put them in a shallow dish with the sugar and brandy, rum, or liqueur, and turn them so that they are well coated. Leave for at least 1 hour, turning the slices over occasionally, so that they absorb the spirit.
For the batter, beat the yolks with the oil and salt, then stir in the flour and mix well. Now beat in the water gradually and vigorously, squashing any lumps. Leave for an hour, then fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.
Heat at least 3/4" (2cm) of oil in a large frying pan. Dip the apple slices in the batter--about 5 at a time--making sure that they are well covered with batter. Lift each one out carefully and lower into the hot oil. The oil must be sizzling but not too hot or the fritters will brown before the apple is soft inside.
Fry in batches, and turn the slices over to brown both sides. Lift out with a slotted spatula and drain on kitchen paper before serving. Pass the superfine sugar for everyone to sprinkle on.
Variations: You may use beer or milk instead of water for the batter. Pass powdered cinnamon and sugar around for people to sprinkle on.
Per request from farawaypoints , one traditional Latke recipe, with a few options for variations and a dessert Latke that I fell in love with last year.
Potato Latkes
Ingredients
4 medium potatoes or 3 cups hash-brown style shredded potatoes, so you don't have to.
1 medium onion or 1 cup frozen chopped onion (thawed and drained)
2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg whites
1/4-1/2 cup matzah meal (flour or bread crumbs can be substituted)
1 tsp. baking powder (optional)
1 tsp. each salt and black pepper (more or less to taste)
oil for frying (I use peanut, you can use whatever you want.)
Instructions:
Shred the potatoes and onion into a large bowl. Press to get out all excess liquid. You want them to be slightly dry.
Add eggs and mix well to coat, then add your matzah meal gradually until the batter is doughy, but not too dry. Start with 1/4 cup, add more as needed. You probably will not need the entire 1/2 cup.
Add baking powder if you want light/fluffy cakes - ignore it if you want them more like hashbrown patties.
Then add your salt and pepper and mix well.
In a large skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of oil to medium-high heat - right below the smoking point.
Form the batter into 1/4" patties using about 1/4 cup mixture at a time.
Fry latkes until they are well browned on both sides and crisp around the edges.
Drain well on paper towels.
Latkes can be served immediately or kept warm in the oven at 250 degrees.
Serve with applesauce and sour cream.
Variations:
1. Southwest Latkes - Add 1/2 cup finely diced Jalapeno. This makes them awesome, serve with sour cream.
2. Swap for veggie latkes - instead of 3 cups potato, do 2 cup potato, 1 cup shredded zucchini, and add 1/2 cup diced green pepper. You can also add things like carrots and celery if you really want.
3. Sweet Potato Latkes - Swap potato for sweet potato, add 1/2 tsp cinnamon and all spice to the batter, serve with applesauce!
Apple Latkes
All credit to http://www.jewishfood-list.com/recipes/vegn/latke/latkesapple01.html for this awesome recipe.
Source: Claudia Rosen, "The Book of Jewish Food"
Serves: 4
4 apples, tart or sweet
2 to 3 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. brandy or dark rum, or fruit liqueur
2 eggs, separated
2 tbsp. light vegetable oil
A good pinch of salt
1 cup flour (150g)
7/8 cup water (200ml)
Vegetable oil for frying, preferably sunflower
Superfine sugar for sprinkling on after serving
Core and peel the apples and cut each into 4 thick slices. Put them in a shallow dish with the sugar and brandy, rum, or liqueur, and turn them so that they are well coated. Leave for at least 1 hour, turning the slices over occasionally, so that they absorb the spirit.
For the batter, beat the yolks with the oil and salt, then stir in the flour and mix well. Now beat in the water gradually and vigorously, squashing any lumps. Leave for an hour, then fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.
Heat at least 3/4" (2cm) of oil in a large frying pan. Dip the apple slices in the batter--about 5 at a time--making sure that they are well covered with batter. Lift each one out carefully and lower into the hot oil. The oil must be sizzling but not too hot or the fritters will brown before the apple is soft inside.
Fry in batches, and turn the slices over to brown both sides. Lift out with a slotted spatula and drain on kitchen paper before serving. Pass the superfine sugar for everyone to sprinkle on.
Variations: You may use beer or milk instead of water for the batter. Pass powdered cinnamon and sugar around for people to sprinkle on.