People Finder
Lazy Latkes
Enjoy a traditional meal of latkes for Hanukkah, cooked up in a less traditional way (read: quicker and less messy). And if you're looking for a fabulous New Year's Eve nibble, try these topped with a bit of sour cream, a sprinkle of chives, and a dollop of caviar.
Food writer Rebecca Firkser shared a recipe with Food 52 called “Shockingly Crisp Baked Latkes,” that uses an oven instead of a stove for frying, making latkes quicker and less messier. Recipe tweaked from Pam Gruber.
Avocado oil (or another neutral oil with a high smoke point)
2 pound russet potatoes
1 large onion
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Applesauce, sour cream, snipped chives, and/or caviar for serving
Heat the oven to 425 degrees and pour a generous ½ cup of oil on a rimmed baking sheet.
Peel and grate the potatoes, using a large box grater or a food processor fitted with the grating blade, and do the same with the onion. Place the grated potatoes and onion in a clean kitchen towel over a colander, and press down to eliminate excess water. Gather the edges of the towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Do this a couple of times.
Place the baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes to heat the oil. Meanwhile, place the potatoes and onions in a large bowl. Add the eggs, baking powder, flour, salt, and pepper, and mix well with your clean hands.
Carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven. Scoop ¼-cup mounds of the potato mixture carefully onto the sheet pan. Use an offset spatula or the bottom of a ¼-cup scoop to slightly flatten each mound. Bake for 20 minutes, until the bottoms and edges are golden. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use a spatula to carefully flip the latkes. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until golden on both sides. Transfer the lates to a paper-towel-lined clean baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
If needed, add another ¼ cup or so of oil to the original baking sheet and warm in the oven for 10 minutes. Repeat the process with the remaining potato mixture.
Serve warm with applesauce, sour cream, snipped chives, and maybe a little dollop of caviar. The latkes can be made ahead and refrigerated, then crisped in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes.
Click here for a printer-friendly version of this recipeTo leave a comment, please log in or create an account with The Buzz Magazines, Disqus, Facebook, or Twitter. Or you may post as a guest.
