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 Flattening out the low-fat latkes. Latkes (potato pancakes) can be baked or fried |
Meals Kids Might Eat:
Latkes (aka Potato Pancakes)
by Jyotsna “Jo” Sreenivasan, from the December 2006 newsletter
Latkes are traditionally served during Hanukkah, which this year begins on the evening of December 15. Hanukkah celebrates a miracle: after defeating their enemies, the Jews returned to their abandoned Temple in Jerusalem and lit the oil lamp. There was only enough oil for one day. However, the oil lasted for eight days – long enough for the Jews to make more oil.
Because the miracle of Hanukkah involved oil, foods fried in lots of oil are traditional. Although most people think of latkes when they think of Hanukkah food, in Israel, fried jelly-filled doughnuts called “sufganiyot” are eaten at this time.
My mother-in-law, Sharon Winstein, has an absolutely delicious – and oily – latke recipe, which I am giving you here. I am also printing a low-fat, baked latke recipe, which is also delicious (although the pancakes turn out more “crunchy” than in the fried version).
My older son loves latkes. I hope your children will too. We like a light soup on the side, such as the Beet Borscht recipe given here. My younger son enjoys this borscht.
Grandma Sharon’s Perfect Potato Latkes
This recipe makes 18-20 small pancakes – enough for about four
people, depending on how hungry everyone is.
1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold or russet potatoes (3 medium), peeled and shredded
1 medium onion, peeled and shredded or minced
2 tablespoons flour or matzo meal
½ cup vegetable oil (or more)
2 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 generous teaspoon pepper
Sour cream and/or applesauce
Stir flour or matzo meal into shredded potatoes and onions. In a separate bowl, beat eggs with salt and pepper. Stir into potato mixture.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large (12-inch) skillet on medium-high heat, or in an electric skillet set at 380°F. You can use two or more skillets at the same time to speed things along.
When oil bubbles around a shred of potato, it is hot enough. For each latke place one heaping measuring-tablespoon of potato mixture in hot oil and flatten into a round 3-inch pancake of even thinness. Fill entire skillet, leaving space between latkes. Let pancakes fry, undisturbed, for about four minutes, or until all edges are extremely brown.
Turn each latke over in its place. Fry for 3 or 4 minutes until the bottom sides are very brown. To serve immediately, drain on paper towels and blot tops. To serve later, do not drain on paper towels. Instead place latkes, slightly overlapping, on a baking sheet.
Add enough oil to the skillet to bubble around the latkes, and continue until finished.
If you made the latkes in advance, reheat them on the baking sheet in a 400°F oven for several minutes. Blot the tops with a paper towel.
Serve with sour cream and/or applesauce.
Low-Fat Latkes
(Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, by the Moosewood
Collective)
This recipe makes about twice as many latkes as the one above, but it’s easy to cut in half.
8 cups peeled, grated Yukon Gold or Butter potatoes (6 or 7 potatoes)
1 cup peeled, shredded or minced onion
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup matzo meal or flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives, parsley, or scallions (optional)
1 to 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (we probably use more than this)
Sour cream and/or applesauce
Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray or coat two or more baking sheets with oil. If you don’t have a nonstick pan, be generous with the oil because these latkes do tend to stick to the pan.
Mix together the potatoes and onions, and stir in the eggs. Mix in the flour or matzo meal, salt, baking powder, pepper, and optional herbs.
Drop generous tablespoons of batter on the oiled sheet. These don’t spread much so you can put them pretty close together. Flatten each pancake with a spatula or with your fingers (my preferred method). Gather in stray potato shreds to make a nice round pancake.
Bake 10-15 minutes, until the edges are brown.
Remove from oven, brush or spray the tops of the pancakes with oil, and turn them over in place. Bake again for 15 more minutes, until the latkes are brown and crisp.
Serve with sour cream and/or applesauce.
Beet Borscht
(Adapted from Breads, Soups and Salads! by Sharon Winstein)
This recipe makes a lot of soup – up to 10 cups – so you might want to cut it in half. You can also freeze extra. People are surprised at how light and refreshing this soup is, even though it is made with a root vegetable.
5 to 6 medium beets, leaves and roots removed (1 ¾ pounds after trimming)
1 medium-large onion, peeled and minced
6 cups water
½ cup fresh lemon or lime juice and pulp
3 tablespoons sugar (we use the Sucanat evaporated cane juice found in the bulk section)
1 teaspoon salt
Plain yogurt or sour cream
Boil the unpeeled beets for about 15 minutes, until you can pierce them easily with a fork. Let beets cool, and scrape off skin with your fingers or a vegetable peeler.
Shred the beets in a food processor, or with a hand grater.
Combine the shredded beets with all other ingredients in a 4 to 6 quart pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover the pot. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Taste the soup. It should be nicely tart and sweet. If necessary, add more sugar or lemon/lime juice.
Borscht can be eaten hot, warm or cold. Borscht is traditionally served with a spoonful of yogurt or sour cream mixed into each bowl.
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