Tradition-busting latkes shake up Chanukah

It’s latke time! I have loved latkes since I was very little — but I rarely eat them except at Chanukah.

I come from a long line of once-a-year-latke makers. My grandmother made latkes only once a year. My aunts made latkes once a year. My mother made latkes once a year. So, once a year, we had at least eight days of latkes. The rest of the year we dreamed about the latkes we would have the next year.

The latkes my grandmother made were delicious. They were also deadly. She made them with homemade schmaltz and the gribenes she made every Shabbat. As this special Chanukah batch of gribenes cooled, she chopped them and added them to the potato mixture, deftly removing the pieces of chicken skin and adding only the deep golden onions.

She then shredded the potatoes on an old grater that had a crisscross of wires, in a frame with a metal handle. She placed this over her wooden bowl and grated away for a very long time. My mother inherited that device and discovered it was perfect for grating hard boiled eggs for egg salad and nothing more.

My mother made her latkes with an old fashioned box grater. By the time the last potato was grated, (and her knuckles bandaged) the first potatoes were already browned. Grating the onion was brutal; she always sent me out of the room. She (and my aunts) used a mixture of something called Nyafat (fake schmaltz) and Crisco for frying.

Today, we peel a potato, place it in a large feed tube and in about 5 minutes, we have a mound of perfectly white grated potatoes. Onions are chopped in a snap, and we can use all kinds of fats for frying. Plus, nothing says that latkes can only be made with potatoes, so we experiment and add lots of healthy veggies to the mix.

Given our modern conveniences, there is no excuse for not making latkes year-round. I make mine in my air fryer (fewer calories and almost no oil). And, if you are averse to totally potato latkes, you can make these which use lots of veggies and very little potato.

Are they calorie savers? It’s Chanukah! You can worry about calories for the other 51 weeks because, even though we can, we probably won’t make latkes again until next Chanukah!

Mashed Potato and Veggie

Latkes with (or without)  Parmesan (Pareve or Dairy)

1/4 cup Canola Oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 carrot finely shredded

1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped

2 to 3 scallions, chopped

5 cups mashed potatoes, unseasoned

1 egg

1 to 2 Tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

FOR DAIRY: 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese or grated smoked Gouda

Oil for frying

Optional: Breadcrumbs, plain or Panko for coating for crispier latkes.

Heat a large skillet and add half of the oil. Add the onions and shallots and caramelize for 15 to 20 minutes over medium-low heat, until deep golden brown. Set the onions aside in a large bowl.

Add the rest of the oil to the pan and add the carrots. Sauté for about 2 minutes or until the carrots begin to soften. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the scallions and heat for 1 minute. Add the mixture to the onions and mix well.

Mash the potatoes (through a ricer if possible) to a smooth consistency. Add the egg, flour, baking powder, and salt and pepper and mix well.

Add to the onion mixture. Add the cheese and mix thoroughly. Add more flour to thicken the mixture, if needed, and then form patties. Dip in bread crumbs, if desired, for a crispier latke. Place on a plate.

Take a large, clean skillet and heat for a few seconds or until a tiny drop of water skittles across the pan and evaporates. Add a quarter to inch of oil to the pan and let it heat until shimmery. Add the patties and let cook until deep golden on the bottom. The latke should move easily and freely when cooked properly. Flip once and cook until golden. Drain on brown paper while completing the latkes. Makes about 12 to 18 latkes.

Cauliflower, Leek and (Some) Potato Latkes (Pareve or Dairy)

1 head cauliflower, cut into 1 inch florets

1 large onion, chopped

1 leek, about 6 to 8 inches of white part, sliced

2 to 3 cloves garlic

2 to 3 Tbsp. freshly chopped flat leaf parsley

1 tsp. fresh dill, minced

1 zucchini, about 6 to 8 inches

1 large Russet potato, peeled

2 extra-large eggs

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt, to taste

1/2 tsp. black pepper, to taste

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper or Aleppo pepper

1/2 to 2/3 cup breadcrumbs

1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place the cauliflower florets in a pot of boiling water. Cook until fork tender. Drain thoroughly. Place half the cauliflower in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until very smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Place the onion, leek, and garlic in the processor and pulse until very finely chopped and a bit liquid-y. Add to the bowl. Place the remainder of the cauliflower, the parsley and dill in the processor and pulse until chopped into 1/8 –inch pieces. Transfer to the bowl.

Change to a fine shredding disc and shred the potato and the zucchini. Place in a colander and press out as much liquid as possible. Add to the bowl and mix well.

Add the eggs, baking powder, salt, black pepper and Aleppo or Cayenne pepper and mix well. Add enough of the breadcrumbs to make a mixture that will hold together. Add more breadcrumbs, if needed.

Heat a large skillet. Add 1/3-inch canola oil and, when shimmery, add tablespoons of the mixture. Flatten to 2 to 3-inches across. Fry, undisturbed until you can see deep golden up the sides of the latkes. Flip and cook until golden. Place on brown paper to drain. Makes about 2 dozen latkes.

Greek Feta Leek Latkes (Dairy)

2 lbs. red skinned potatoes

1 leek, white part only, about 5 inches each, sliced, washed and drained

2 small shallots

2 to 3 scallions, green part only

1 small can artichoke hearts, (about 8 to 10 ounces total) drained well, chopped

2 cups baby spinach leaves roughly chopped

2 extra-large eggs

1 tsp. salt, to taste

1/2 tsp. black pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp. dried oregano, to taste

1/2 cup unbleached flour

3/4 to 1-1/4 cups breadcrumbs

1 to 2 cups Canola oil for frying

Wash the potatoes carefully and cut out any imperfections. No need to peel unless you prefer to. Using the medium shredding disc, process the potatoes and place in a colander over a bowl. Let drain.

Change to the s-blade and chop the leeks, shallots and scallions into very small pieces. Transfer to a large bowl.

Squeeze out any more moisture from the potatoes and add to the leeks. Process the artichoke hearts until chopped into pieces about 1/4–inch. Add to the bowl. Mix well. Add the spinach and mix well. Add the eggs, salt and pepper, oregano, and flour and mix well. Add the feta cheese and mix. Add just enough breadcrumbs to hold the mixture together. Form 3-inch patties and place on a lightly floured plate.

Heat a large skillet and add the oil. Heat until shimmery and then add several patties. Fry until deeply golden on one side. Flip carefully and fry until golden on both sides. Let drain on brown paper. Repeat, adding more oil as needed. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot. Makes 20 to 30 latkes. Serve with Tzatziki Sauce.

Giant Potato Latkes or Potato Rosti (Pareve)

A rosti is a Swiss potato “latke” that is partially fried on top of the stove and finished in the oven.

4 to 6 large Russet potatoes

1/2 stick pareve Trans-fat free margarine

1/2 cup Canola oil

2 to 3 large onions, finely minced

2 large leeks, finely minced

4 to 5 shallots, finely minced, enough to equal 1/2 cup

2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

1 egg

1/4 cup flour

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Peel and process potatoes using the fine grating disc of the food processor. Pour the potatoes in a colander and drain any liquid. Process the onion, leeks and shallots with the regular “S” blade of the processor until finely minced, but not liquidy. Pour into a large bowl. Add egg, flour, salt, onion powder and pepper and mix well. Add the drained potatoes, squeezing out any excess liquid as you transfer them. and mix thoroughly.

Heat a large oven-proof skillet (cast iron works the best) and add half the oil and half the margarine. When bubbly, add half the potato mixture and smooth the top. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, but do not move the latke. When the bottom is golden brown, drizzle some oil over the top of the latke and place in the oven for 10 to 20 minutes, or until deep golden brown.

Carefully remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the latke to loosen and place a large plate or foil lined cookie sheet over the pan and invert. The latke should slip out with just a bit of coaxing.

Repeat with the rest of the potato mixture. Reheat the first latke in the oven with the second one for 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and or pepper, to taste. Cut into pie-like wedges, 4 to 8 per large latke. Makes two large latkes that will serve 8 to 12 people.

Root Vegetable Latkes (Pareve)

2 cups shredded Russet potatoes

1 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup shredded celeriac

2/3 cup shredded parsnip

1 shredded beet

4 minced scallions

2 large onions

2 large eggs

1/2 cup matzo meal or flour

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Oil for frying

Shred the potato, carrot, celeriac, parsnip, and beet in a food processor using a fine shredding disc. Remove them to a strainer over a large bowl and replace the shredding disc with the “s” blade.

Cut the onions in cubes and process until finely chopped but not liquidy.

Scrape the draining vegetables into a large bowl and add the onions. Mix well. Add the eggs, matzo meal or flour, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Heat a large, heavy skillet until a drop of water “dances” across the pan and evaporates. Add about an inch of oil and heat for a few seconds. Slide spoonfuls of the vegetable mixture into the oil and fry until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Gently turn and cook until golden. Drain on paper bags or paper towels and serve hot. Makes about 12 latkes.

Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com