Oy vey, can you believe that I have never had a latke before! Most people know latkes as a Jewish dish enjoyed during Hanukkah. The oil for the latkes is a symbol of the oil in the Hanukah store about a long lasting flame keeping the second temple of ancient Israel lit. I am personally not Jewish but any excuse to enjoy foods fried in oil is okay with me!

I have been dying to try to make them for myself for a while now but I didn’t attempt for the simple reasons of not owning a proper cast pan and that most of the recipes I found seemed like glorified hash browns. My lovely sister got me a fabulous cast pan for Christmas which I immediately seasoned and have used several times now. Hanuka is over so my latkes are a little late for the party but they’re delicious and oh so yummy. Using parsnips and potato for the pancake and topping with a horseradish sour cream really takes these to the next level.

 

Ingredients

 

  • ½ pound russet potato (about 1 large)
  • Half of a lemon, juiced
  • 2 large parsnips
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ pepper
  • Oil for frying

 Dip

  • one cup sour cream
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 1 tbsp horseradish
  • 1 tbsp chopped dill ( I added more)
  • salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees, line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and keep in oven until needed.

Peel vegetables and grate them on the large holes of a box grater or a food processor. Transfer shredded vegetables to a lint-free dishtowel or square of cheesecloth, and wring out as much liquid as possible. Let stand for two minutes, then wring again. Wetness is the enemy of crisp, light latkes, so we want to get rid of as much as possible.

Transfer wrung-out vegetables to a large bowl. In a tiny dish, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and any herbs or additional seasonings. Add lemon juice to vegetables and then sprinkle on the flour mixture. Toss, evenly coating the strands. Whisk your egg and then stir this into the vegetable-flour mixture, evenly coating the strands.

Heat a large, heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Once skillet is hot, add 3 tablespoons oil and heat oil until shimmering. To test, flick a droplet of water onto the oil; if it hisses and sputters, you’re good to go.

Using a fork or your fingertips, letting the eggy batter drain off, gather spoonful-sized mounds of battered vegetables and drop them onto the heated skillet. When golden underneath, 3 to 4 minutes later, flip pancakes. Cook on the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes or until browned, and transfer to paper towels briefly to drain pancakes, then onto the tray(s) in warm oven.

 

 

Add more oil if needed (I didn’t until the third batch). Repeat with remaining batter.

Mak sauce: Mix sauce ingredients in a small dish. Adjust seasonings to taste.

 

 

 

I don’t if it’s the oil or the parsnips in the oil but something gives these a slightly sweeter taste. The dill refreshed them which is great since things fried in oil can often get really heavy and the sourcream mixture gives them this tangy goodness that goes so well with that slight sweetness that is there. If only these were healthier I would want to eat them every single day.

 

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This time last year, I was blogging about Finnegan’s Pub