These Beet Latkes Are the Crispiest You may Ever Make

Why It Works

Squeezing the patty combination in cheesecloth helps eradicate extra moisture, making the outcomes extra constant and serving to the latkes brown extra effectively.
Shredding the substances in a meals processor ensures a hearty, constant dimension and form for the latkes.

Latkes are flawless as is. Carried out proper, they’re golden and crispy on the surface, tender inside. Why mess with perfection? Conventional latkes are merely potato, onion, egg, and matzo meal, however typically the bounty of rainbow-hued veggies is an excessive amount of to withstand. This recipe takes its inspiration from beet skordalia, a tasty Greek dip that mixes potatoes, beets, walnuts, and an entire lot of garlic. Translating it right into a latke was a easy matter of shredding my substances fairly than whipping them.

Severe Eats / Vicky Wasik

For those who’re not a fan of earthy beets, right here’s a fragile zucchini model, or a brilliantly coloured candy potato, carrot, and squash latke. Beets, usually sugary-sweet when roasted, have a barely milder, extra vegetal taste served uncooked. However when briefly fried, they straddle the road between candy and savory, partnering seamlessly with the punchy garlic, zesty onion, starchy potato, and chopped nuts. The colourful shade is nothing to scoff at, both. Simply take a look at that:

Severe Eats / Vicky Wasik

A spoonful of bitter cream helps brighten these latkes up, however the true coup here’s a horseradish-spiked model. This mixture will make sense to these of you who love beet horseradish at Passover. When you’ve got no thought what I am speaking about, then take my phrase for it: Sharp, pungent horseradish, tangy bitter cream, and sugary beets are a match made in latke heaven.

Really, horseradish bitter cream is just about good with most issues. Oh, and it is as simple as dolloping some horseradish right into a bowl of bitter cream and giving it a giant stir.

December 2014

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For the Horseradish Bitter Cream:

1 cup bitter cream (about 7 1/2 ounces; 210g)
Horseradish, to style (roughly 1 tablespoon; 15ml)

For the Latkes:

1 1/2 kilos (680g) purple beets, peeled, trimmed, and shredded on the shredding disk of a meals processor (6 cups shredded)
1 pound (454g) russet potatoes, peeled, trimmed, and shredded on the shredding disk of a meals processor (3 cups shredded)
4 cups chopped onion (about 4 medium onions; 900g)
6 medium cloves garlic (about 1 ounce; 30g) minced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (2 1/4 ounces; 65g)
3 giant eggs
3/4 cup matzo meal (about 3 1/4 ounces; 90g), plus extra as wanted (see notes)
1 1/2 tablespoons (18g) kosher salt, plus extra if wanted
1 tablespoon freshly floor black pepper, plus extra if wanted
Canola or peanut oil, for frying
Unsweetened applesauce, for serving

For the Horseradish Bitter Cream: In a small bowl, mix horseradish and bitter cream. Stir to combine completely and refrigerate till prepared to make use of.
For the Latkes: Working in roughly 2-cup batches, wrap beets, potatoes, and onions in cheesecloth that has been folded over twice. Tie corners across the deal with of a picket spoon and twist bundle till liquid flows out and greens are dry. Add squeezed greens to a big mixing bowl and toss to mix completely.
Add garlic and walnuts and stir to mix. Combine in eggs and matzo meal. It’s best to be capable of kind patties that simply stick collectively in your palms; if the combination is simply too moist, add extra matzo meal, 1 tablespoon at a time, till patties will be correctly fashioned. Stir in salt and pepper.
Fill a forged iron skillet with 1/2 inch oil and warmth over medium-high warmth till a shred of potato instantly bubbles when dropped in. Type a small quantity of latke combination right into a disk and fry on either side till golden brown to check for seasoning. Style and add extra salt and pepper if wanted.
Type patties about 3 inches broad and 1 inch thick within the heart and slide patties into pan (not more than 4 at a time). Fry till a golden-brown crust varieties on backside, then flip utilizing a slotted spatula and fork and fry till golden brown on different facet and cooked via, roughly 3 minutes per facet. If a darker crust is desired, proceed cooking on either side to desired doneness.

Severe Eats / Vicky Wasik
Switch latkes to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and let cool for two minutes. Serve with applesauce and horseradish bitter cream on the desk.

Particular Gear

Forged iron skillet, meals processor, cheesecloth, rimmed baking sheet

Notes

The precise quantity of matzo meal wanted will rely on how moist your greens are. Begin with the prompt quantity, then add extra if wanted, working in 1-tablespoon increments, till you may kind patties that stick collectively in your palms.

These Beet Latkes Are the Crispiest You may Ever Make

Why It Works

December 2014