Chanukah is a great excuse to break out the deep-fat fryer. But those of us in pursuit of crystal clear complexions might be a bit squeamish about using gallons of oil just to cook a potato. Or perhaps, we are expecting our first baby and the doctor gave us a firm finger-wagging about fried foods and sweets (is this grounds for changing doctors?). Or maybe we just don’t care for the squelch of deep-fried treats. Whatever your reason is for avoiding the oil swimming pool this Chanukah, it’s no reason to keep away from latkes.
With a mere film of vegetable oil, you can fry up a mighty fine beet or sweet potato pancake. Regular russet potato latkes require an 1/8-inch thick oil coating in your skillet to reach true Maccabee status. But if you are serving up a variety platter of latkes, cutting some corners is better than cutting none.
That said, I’m not touting these latkes as healthy—although the beet ones come close. I’m just saying they’re healthier. Even the potato latkes are cut with parsnip, which has more dietary fiber than straight-up potato. And at a time of holiday feasting, any excuse to pile on an extra dollop of sour cream is welcome. It’s calcium, Doc, I swear!
Spiced Sweet Potato Latkes with Chipotle Sour Cream
1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes
1 cup shredded onion
1/2 cup matzo meal
2 eggs, beaten
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pinches ground cloves
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chipotle, minced
Bake the sweet potatoes in an oven for one hour until soft or in the microwave 7-8 minutes until soft. Mash until almost smooth. Stir in shredded onion, matzo meal, eggs, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Heat a thin film of vegetable oil in a shallow skillet until hot but not smoking. Pan fry heaping-tablespoon sized dollops of sweet potato 2-3 minutes on a side over medium heat until golden brown. Meanwhile, mix sour cream with chipotle. Serve Spiced Sweet Potato Latkes with Chipotle Sour Cream. Yield: 20 pancakes
Beet Fennel Latkes with Chevre Cream
1 pound beets, peeled and shredded
3/4 pound fennel, stalks and core removed, fennel bulb shredded (1 cup shredded)
½ cup onion, shredded
4 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
15 turns black pepper
½ cup flour
2-ounces chevre (goat cheese)
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
Using a food processor will make the process of shredding beets, fennel and onion much easier. Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl with sugar, salt and pepper. Stir shredded beets, fennel and onion into eggs. Stir in flour. Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a shallow skillet until hot but not smoking. Turn heat to medium. Pan fry heaping tablespoon sized dollops of beet mixture 3-4 minutes on a side, being careful to keep the heat low enough so the sweet beets don’t burn. Meanwhile, mix chevre with sour cream and chopped tarragon. Serve alongside Beet Fennel Pancakes. Yield: 30 pancakes
Classic Potato Latkes (with Parsnips)
1 medium yellow onion, shredded
1 ½ pounds potatoes, peeled and shredded
1/3 pound parsnip, peeled and shredded (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup matzo meal
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoon salt
15 turns black pepper
½ cup parsley, chopped
The trick to these little crispy latkes is to drain them of all excess liquid before frying. Shred the onion first and squeeze out excess moisture. Add to a large mixing bowl. Shred the parsnip and stir into onion. Shred the potatoes just before you are ready to fry them, otherwise they will discolor. Gently squeeze excess liquid from potatoes using cheese cloth (thick paper towel will work in a pinch, but squeeze gently). Stir potatoes into onion mixture. Add matzo meal, eggs, salt, black pepper and parsley. Heat 1/8 inch corn oil in a shallow skillet until hot but not smoking. Pan fry tablespoon-size dollops of latke mixture 2-3 minutes per side until golden. Serve with sour cream and apple sauce. Yield: 24-30 pancakes
Josie A.G. Shapiro is the Chief Development Officer at Temple Sholom of Chicago. She can be reached at Josie@sholomchicago.org.
