Description
Potato latkes are a Jewish food, also known as potato pancakes. This piece also includes an incredibly simple and tasty applesauce recipe. Enjoy them together.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Applesauce (makes about 2 quarts)
- 5 lb (2.25 kg) red apples (cortlands are best but can also use
- McCoons, Empires, Galas or others)
Latkes (makes 10-12)
- 2 lb (900 g) russet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
- 1 cup (240 ml) onion, coarsely grated
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- 1 cup (240 ml) ( or more ) vegetable oil or shmaltz
Instructions
Applesauce
- Wash the apples. Halve core and slice into 2 inch chunks (do not peel)
- Place the apples in a heavy pot and bring to a simmer over high heat, give them a few stirs to prevent scorching.
- Lower the heat and cover the pot. Cook gently until they turn soft and juicy, about 30-40 minutes.
- Puree the apples in a hand cranked food mill.
- Serve alone, atop latkes or any way you like!
Latkes
- Fill a large bowl with cold water.
- As you grate the potatoes and onions transfer them to the water (this prevents them from turning brown).
- Drain the potatoes & onion mixture and place in a large to a clean towel. Ring out as much water as you can. You can also do this by hand in batches.
- Transfer the potato-onion mixture to a large bowl and stir in the beaten egg, salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat a large skillet with 4 tbsp of oil until hot but not smoking.
- Fill a 1/2 cup measuring cup with potato mixture and press out excess liquid back into the bowl.
- Add the mixture to the pan and flatten into a 3 inch round with a spatula.
- Fry 3-4 pancakes at a time or whatever amount will fit comfortably in the pan without overcrowding it.
- Cook until golden brown on each side. Drain the pancakes on brown paper. Season with a little salt.
- Serve immediately or drain on a wire rack and keep warm in a 300 degree oven.
Notes
- Applesauce If an apple (or pear) is on it’s way out, getting soft or over ripe, it’s a good time to sauce it.
- When making applesauce, use a heavy pot – in a thin one, apples will burn before they sauce.
- In addition to the pink color the skins provide, Peter keeps the skin on his apples for the pectin, which is just under the skin of apples.
- Pectin has a thickening effect on the sauce.
- You can add cinnamon once the apples are cooked, but that doesn’t go so well with latkes.
- Your applesauce will keep for 1-2 weeks in the fridge without any preserving method.
- Latkes For this recipe, do not use extra virgin olive oil.
- Extra light pure olive oil, safflower or canola oil are best.
- Once pan is hot, keep flame low.
- You can make the grated potato mixture a day ahead.
- Keep it in the fridge with plastic directly on the grated mixture so no air gets to it.
- If preparing latkes for a crowd, you can keep them in warm oven around 200.
- If you are vegan, can use flour instead of egg to help bind the latkes.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 latkes
- Calories: 320