Latkes

Happy Hanukkah!

A few years ago, I tried baking latkes instead of frying them. They're healthier, easier, less messy, and the house didn't smell like fried onions and potatoes for 3 weeks. I remember asking my mom what I thought was a rhetorical question, "Why does anyone ever fry these things?" She reminded me of the symbolism of the oil that we're supposed to be honoring on Hanukkah. Oops.

But since I care more about health/ease/neatness/smell than I do about symbolism, my method of choice is still baking. Note that this recipe is adapted from Rachael Ray's recipe (yes, again with the non-tradition) and her instructions say to fry them, so you can totally do that with this recipe if you really want to scent your home with eau de latke.

This is what your ingredients will look like when you multiply the recipe by 5.

Rinse the potatoes after shredding! Otherwise they'll turn black.

Thank you, food processor. Two bowls worth of shredded veggies ready for the binding ingredients.

No matter what precautions you take, latke juice will form on the bottom of the bowl.

I divide my latkes into "pretty enough for company" and "Jess is allowed to eat these."

(right to left, above)

The Recipe:

1 1/2 lb potatoes, shredded (a combination of regular and sweet potatoes, or a bag of shredded hashbrowns works well)

1 large carrot, shredded

1 medium onion, shredded

2 tb parsley, chopped*

2 eggs, beaten

2 tsp salt

3 tb flour

1 tsp baking powder

cooking spray

Applesauce and/or sour cream for serving

*EDIT - My new and improved version has 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp dried basil, and 1 tsp onion powder instead of the plain old parsley.

• After shredding the potatoes, rinse it in cold water and remove as much liquid as possible
• After shredding the onion, press out as much liquid as possible
• Combine shredded vegetables and parsley in a bowl
• Mix salt, flour, and baking powder, and stir these in to coat the vegetables
• Pour the eggs over the mixture and stir well
• Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray
• Form a patty between your palms, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Periodically, drain the excess liquid from your bowl, and add more flour to the mixture if it is not binding well.
• Place the pancake down on the baking sheet. When you have a sheet of pancakes, spray the tops with additional cooking spray to help it brown.
• Bake at 410 for 20 minutes, then flip and bake another 15 minutes.
• Serve with applesauce and/or sour cream. Or gravy and cranberry sauce, since Hanukkah is on Thanksgiving this year.

The Verdict:

Overall grade: B+

Overall reason: Reliable and tasty. No wow factor, but good with applesauce.

Time to prepare: 1 hour (or 3, if you need to bake it in multiple batches because you've multiplied the recipe by 5 like I did)

Husband quote: "One of the great latkes! You know, like the great lakes. Get it?" (This is what I get when I forget to listen to his actual reaction and ask for a quote later.)