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Cleo Coyle, latke lover, |
Potato pancakes (latkes)are the favorite Chanukah food of my beloved Village Blend barista Esther, and I think she would have thoroughly enjoyed Brooklyn's 3rd Annual Latke Festival, where 15 chefs from around the world recently battled each other in a gourmet potato pancake cook-off.
To see a short, fun video shot at this festival for New York's Channel 1,click here. Attendees got their fill of an astounding global mashup of flavors withtoppings that included figs, goat cheese, duck confit, caviar, quail eggs, cured meats, pickled vegetables, chiles, and even chocolate sprinkles.
Inspired by Brooklyn's Lakte Festival, and the last night of Chanukah, I am delighted to share two latke recipes with you today.The first recipe is a reprise from last year, when one of our followers, Nancy Phillips, informed us that her teenage son Connor (an aspiring Iron chef) came up with an amazing latke recipe based on my Autumn Potatoes post. Wouldn't Connor's recipe have made a wonderfulentry in the Brooklyn Festival?! 
To see the original teen Iron Chef post, click here.
To download a PDF of Connor's Garlic Carrot-Potato Latkes with Dill, click here.
As for the second recipe, well...let's just say it's Esther's best. :)
Esther'sRoasted Garlic
and Herb Latkes(Potato Pancakes!)
Below is my barista Esther's own unique spin on her mom’s traditional latke recipe. To the classic pancake, she adds the sweet and pungent flavor of roasted garlic along with the aromatic notes of rosemary and scallion.Serve these babies plain or with sour cream on the side. Delicious!
This recipe was featured in my Coffeehouse Mystery Holiday Grind...
If you're new to me or this blog, theCoffeehouse Mysteries are culinary mysteries set in a landmark Greenwich Village coffeehouse, and each of the ten titles includes the added bonus of recipes.Holiday Grind includes an extra-large recipe section with holiday treats, a glossary of coffeehouse terms, and instructions on making your own specialty coffee drinks at home. To learn more about my Coffeehouse series, click here.
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To download this recipe in a PDF document that you can print, save, or share, click here.
Makes 2 servings or about nine 3- to 4-inch latkes; for family-size meals,you’ll want to double, triple, or quadruple this recipe and have two frying pans working at the same time.
INGREDIENTS:
10 garlic cloves, roasted and smashed (See “How to Roast Garlic” ¾ cup finely grated onions (2 to 3 medium size onions) 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary 2 teaspoons salt 1½ pounds Idaho baking potatoes (about 3 medium russet potatoes; yes, 1 large egg, beaten with a fork Canola or light olive oil Sour cream (optional topping)
at the end of this recipe.)
russets are the best type to use here)
DIRECTIONS:
Step 1—Prepare aromatics:First, preheat the oven to 250°F. In a large bowl, combine the garlic with the onions, scallions, rosemary, and salt.
Step 2—Grate potatoes:Do not peel your potatoes. Grate by hand
with a simple box grater, or use a food processor. Add the grated potatoesto the bowl of aromatics and stir well.
Step 3—Press out moisture:Place the potato mixture in a large sieve and press down to strain out moisture. Esther notes that getting rid of excess moisture will help you create latkes that are crisp and golden brown.
Step 4—Add egg: Now return the mixture to the bowl and stir in the egg to finish your latke batter. Cook immediately. Step 5—Fry pancakes:
NOTE: If your oil is too hot, you’ll burn the latkes. If your oil is too cool, your latkes will be greasy. Test the oil with a drop of water. When it dances or bounces on top of the oil, it’s ready. If the oil begins to smoke, it’s too hot! Also keep in mind that if you crowd the pan with too many latkes, the oil temperature will drop dramatically, so don’t fry too many at once—for big batches, have two pans going at the same time.
To fry: Pack potato mixture into a ¼ cup measuring cup. Turn out onto a plate in a little mound. Do this four times.
Place the four mounds in quick succession into the hot oil and immediately flatten each mound into a 3- to 4-inch pancake. (Flattening is important or you may have latkes that are cooked on the edges but raw in the middle!) Cook each pancake for about 3 minutes on the first side, until the bottom is golden brown.
Now flip and cook the other side 1–3 minutes until it’s golden brown, too. Do not flip more than once, but Esther suggests lightly pressing the pancakes a few times with your spatula during the cooking process to make sure the centers cook. Drain in a single layer on paper towels. Keep finished latkes warm in the 250-degree F. oven while you’re cooking the rest of the batter...
Serve warm with sour cream.
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How toRoast Garlic
Roasted garlic is delicious smashed on crusty French or Italian bread and (of course) mixed withmashed potatoes. Now that’s how to eat with joy! ~ Cleo
Using a whole head:
Using peeled cloves: Place your peeled cloves into a small ovenproof dish, drizzle with a bit of oil (olive is best), and add a splash of water. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 30–40 minutes or until the garlic is soft.
Happy Chanukah!
Merry Christmas!
and
HappyNew Year!
To get more of my recipes,
enter to win free coffee, or
learn about my books,
including my bestselling
Haunted Bookshopseries,
visit my onlinecoffeehouse:
The Coffeehouse Mysteriesare national bestselling
culinary mysteries set in a landmark Greenwich Village
coffeehouse,and each of the ten titles includes the
added bonus of recipes.
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