This is from one of my family’s go-to cookbooks, Jerusalem: A Cookbook. It doesn’t have to be a Jewish holiday to make a Jerusalem-inspired dish, but today it is: the first day of Hanukkah. My 4-year-old nephew was a great help with counting the cups of grated potato and providing some company and entertainment during the process!
Makes 12 latkes, serves 4
Ingredients:
5 1/2 cups peeled and grated fairly waxy potatoes such as Yukon Gold
2 3/4 cups peeled and grated parsnips
2/3 cup scallions (the recipe calls for chives, but we used scallions. I think either would work well and be delicious!), finely chopped
4 egg whites
2 TBSP cornstarch
5 TBSP unsalted butter
6 1/2 TBSP sunflower oil (we used avocado oil)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sour cream, to serve (we also made homemade applesauce; see the recipe here. If eating with applesauce, you may want to omit the chives or scallions).
Directions:
- Rinse the potatoes in a large bowl of cold water. Drain in a colander, squeeze out any excess water, and then spread the potatoes out on a clean kitchen towel to dry completely.
- In a large bowl, mix together the potatoes, parsnips, chives or scallions, egg whites, cornstarch, 1 tsp. salt and plenty of black pepper.
- Heat half the butter and half the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Use your hands to pick out portions of about 2 TBSP of the latke mix, squeeze firmly to remove some of the liquid, and shape into thin patties about 3/8 inch thick and 3 1/4 inches in diameter.
- Carefully place as many latkes as you can comfortably fit in the pan, push them down gently, and level them with the back of a spoon.
- Fry over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes on each side The latkes need to be completely brown on the outside.
- Remove the fried latkes from the oil, place on paper towels, and keep warm while you cook the rest.
- Add the remaining butter and oil as needed.
- Serve at once with sour cream (and/or applesauce) on the side.
