Chanukah Inspired Recipes

Sephardic Latkes

by Hélène JAWHARA PIÑER

These crisp potato pancakes bring together two flavors that feel especially close to me: the warm, smoky depth of paprika, which I personally love, and garlic-infused olive oil, an unmistakably Sephardic touch that evokes the flavors of home and tradition. Like so many recipes passed down through generations, the secret is often found in a simple detail: squeezing the grated potatoes and onions thoroughly before frying, which gives the latkes their wonderfully light and crunchy texture.

Ingredients for 6 medium latkes

Ingredients 

• 2 pounds Russet potatoes, scrubbed
• 1 medium red onion
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• ½ tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• ½ cup olive oil

Instructions

1. Grate the vegetables

Prepare a large bowl of water. Shred the potatoes and onion using the coarse side of a box grater. Place the shreds in the water while you are grating them so they do not oxidize, and leave them there for 5 minutes after finishing grating them. This process allows the starch to fall to the bottom.

2. Dry thoroughly

Remove the vegetables from the bowl, gathering them in handfuls and pressing firmly to release their liquid. Spread them onto a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth, then wrap and twist the towel around the mixture, squeezing repeatedly until the potatoes and onions are as dry as possible.

3. Keep the potato starch

Let the discarded liquid rest briefly. The potato starch will sink to the bottom of the bowl. Slowly pour away the water without disturbing this layer. Put the dried potato and onion mixture back into the bowl and scrape the reserved starch into it. Combine.

4. Season the batter

Crack in the eggs and sprinkle over the smoked paprika and salt. Toss and stir until the egg and seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the vegetables.

5. Infuse the frying oil

Pour ¼ cup of the olive oil into a 10-inch skillet (cast-iron skillet preferably) and set it over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and allow it to gently perfume the oil as the pan comes up to temperature. Be careful, as it can burn very quickly. After 1 minute, remove the crispy slices of garlic and add them to the egg-potato batter. Stir.

6. Cook in batches

Scoop about ⅓ cup of the potato mixture into the medium-hot skillet. Make several at a time, leaving enough room between them to turn easily. Press each mound lightly into a round roughly 1/3 inch thick.

Do not try to move the latke before 2–3 minutes, so the underside becomes richly light-brown and crisp. Turn carefully and cook the other side for another 3–4 minutes. Add some of the remaining olive oil between batches whenever the pan needs it.

7. Serve

Continue until all the potato mixture has been fried.

Tomato Soup with Cheesy Latke Croutons

by Leah Koenig

Latkes con Mole

by Margaret E. Boyle

From “Sabor Judío: The Jewish Mexican Cookbook” by Ilan Stavans and Margaret E. Boyle. 

Serves 8

Preparation time: 1½ hours

Ingredients

For the latkes:

• 4 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed and peeled
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled
• ½ cup potato starch
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Vegetable oil, for frying

For the mole:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped 1 (8-ounce) jar prepared mole
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

For serving:

• Crumbled queso fresco

Instructions

Make the latkes:

1. Line 2 large baking sheets with several layers of paper towels and set aside.
2. Grate the potatoes and onion on the large holes of a box grater. (Or cut them into quarters and shred using the shredding disc of a food processor.) Working in batches, wrap the shredded potatoes and onion in a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much water as possible.
3. Add the shredded potatoes and onion to a large bowl along with the potato starch, salt, and eggs. Mix until fully incorporated.
4. In a large frying pan, heat ¼ inch of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Working in batches of 4–5, drop ¼ cup of batter into the pan and press gently with a spatula to flatten slightly. Cook, flipping once, until browned on both sides and cooked through, 6–8 minutes per batch, then transfer to the prepared baking sheets to drain.
5. Continue with the remaining latke mixture, adding more oil as necessary and adjusting the heat up or down if the latkes are browning too quickly or not quickly enough. The latkes can be kept warm in the oven while preparing the mole.

Make the mole:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 6–8 minutes.
2. Add a heaping tablespoon of the prepared mole, stirring to combine it with the onion, then add 1 cup of the broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until the mixture reaches the consistency of thick soup.
3. Continue adding the prepared mole and the remaining broth, a little at a time, until both are completely used up. Continue cooking the mixture, stirring often, until it turns into a thick, rich sauce. Add the chocolate, stirring to melt, then remove from the heat.
4. Serve the latkes hot, topped with mole and crumbled queso fresco.

Root Vegetable Latkes

By The Gefilteria

Makes 18 to 22 latkes

Ingredients

• 4 russet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled

• 1 medium parsnip, peeled

• 1 medium turnip, peeled

• 1 small onion

• 4 scallions, finely chopped

• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• ⅓ cup bread crumbs or matzo meal

• Schmaltz or peanut, canola, or grapeseed oil, for frying

• Applesauce for serving (optional)

• Sour cream for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Shred the potatoes, parsnip, turnip, and onion on the large holes of a box grater or in a food processor using the shredder plate. Place the grated vegetables in a large bowl and add cold water to cover. Let sit for about 5 minutes.

2. Drain the vegetables in a colander and squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the shreds into a bowl. It’s helpful to take cheesecloth or a clean thin kitchen towel, drape it in an empty bowl, then pour in the shredded vegetables. Wrap the cheesecloth or towel around the vegetables and squeeze tightly in the bowl. Repeat until as much liquid as possible has been removed. White potato starch will collect at the bottom of the bowl. Carefully drain off the water, leaving the potato starch. Set aside.

3. Place the drained vegetable shreds in a large bowl. Add the scallions, eggs, salt, pepper, flour, bread crumbs, and the reserved potato starch. Mix well, preferably using your hands.

4. In a 9-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet, heat a layer of schmaltz or oil, about 1/8-inch deep, over medium heat. Form the latke batter into thin patties, using about 2 tablespoons for each. As you form the patties, squeeze out and discard any excess liquid. Carefully slip the patties, about 4 at a time, into the pan and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crisp. Take care to flip them only once to avoid excess oil absorption. If the pan begins to smoke at all, add more schmaltz or oil and let it heat up again before frying another batch of latkes.

5. Remove the latkes from the pan and place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain the excess fat. Latkes are best and crispiest when served right away. If serving later, transfer to a separate casserole dish or baking sheet and place in the oven at 200ºF to keep warm until serving. Serve hot, topped with applesauce and/or sour cream.

Excerpted from the book THE GEFILTE MANIFESTO by Jeffrey Yoskowitz & Liz Alpern. Copyright © 2016 by Gefilte Manifesto LLC. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All rights reserved. Photography by Lauren Volo.

Sweet Persian Fritter Zoulbia, an Iranian Chanukah Treat

By Tannaz Sassooni

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tbs baking powder
• 2 Tbs yogurt (optional)
• 1 package active dry yeast
• Grapeseed or other flavorless oil to fry.

• 1 cup water
• 2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbs honey
• dash cardamom
• 1/4 C rosewater

Instructions

1. Mix together batter ingredients. Let sit for 1 hour.
2. To make syrup, combine the first four ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in rosewater.
3. Fill squeeze bottle with batter.
4. Fill a large pan with a 1-inch layer of oil. Heat over medium-high heat until a drop of water dropped into the oil sizzles. Squeeze out batter into hot oil, creating spirals and free-form designs, but maintaining a generally circular shape. The end result should be lacy and not too heavy, so try to squeeze out enough batter to maintain the zoulbia‘s structure, but not too much to make a solid mass. Fry for a few minutes, flipping or submerging to fry both sides, until deep golden brown. Using tongs or two forks, carefully remove zoulbia from pan and shake off excess oil. Lower gently into syrup, quickly submerge and remove. Continue making zoulbia with remaining batter, adding oil as necessary. Cool on a rack in a single layer.

Potato Latkes

By Todd Ginsburg

Time: 30 mins
Yield: 12 servings