Sweet Potato Latkes

I rarely fry food.  I just don’t.  But at this time of year, I start seeing Hanukah recipes, and the one I see the most often is for Latkes.  You’ve seen them on TV.  They’re those grated potatoes that are fried.  They look mighty good, but the few times I’ve tried to make them, I am sorely disappointed because they are not as flavorful as I like.  Here Hanukah has rolled around again, and this morning I found myself thinking about Latkes again!  However, I have learned a few things since the last time I tried them, and these are the best I have ever made.  One change I made was in using sweet potatoes.  I love to use sweet potatoes in savory dishes.  I think the changes that made these better were not just one thing but a combination of many things.  

I am satisfied!

By the way, the eating of latkes at Hanukah has nothing to do with potatoes and everything to do with OIL.  Hanukah is about the miracle of oil.  Look it up!

Here’s what I did to make the the Best Latkes!  This made enough for about 6 servings. 

1 medium large sweet potato

1 small onion - red if you have it.  It just looks pretty in the dipping sauce.

Herbs and Spices that I used:  (use what you have and what you want to use)

salt

pepper

rosemary - chopped fresh or dried

garlic powder - This is one time I don’t prefer fresh garlic because it would burn.

chili powder

cumin

turmeric - I use turmeric for an almost mustardy taste and because it’s good for us.

ginger - good in most everything and good for us  

plain flour

cornstarch

1 egg

Wash the sweet potato but don’t peel it.  Grate it with a box grater.  With the potato I used I ended up with about 4 cups grated.  Put it all in a big bowl and salt it, cover completely with water, and mix it all up.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes.

Grate part of the onion. 

Slice part of it thinly in 1/3 half-moons.  (Slice it in half and then cut part way to the root end in 3 parts.  Then slice across.)  

Dice up the rest of the onion and save that part for the dipping sauce.

Drain the grated sweet potato very well in a colander.  Put it back in a bowl and now mix in the grated onion and all the juice, the little onion slices, your salt, pepper, and other herbs and spices.  If you don’t have a certain spice, don’t worry.  But you want to use savory spices in this dish.  Mix, mix, mix.  Taste.  Add what you think it needs.  If it doesn’t taste good before you cook it, it won’t taste good after you cook it.  It’s like a rule.

Now, you can sprinkle in a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch and a couple of tablespoons of plain flour.  Mix that well.  Now make a little well and crack your egg into it.  Scramble it up with a fork and then mix the egg in well.

Get a skillet heating to about medium and add in oil.  I use olive oil.  (I do not care about that stuff about not frying with olive oil.  This is what they use in the Mediterranean part of the world, and therefore, so do I.  You can use what you want.) 

Turn the oven on 250 F and put a baking sheet in the oven.

Using a tablespoon and a fork, drop a spoonful at a time into the hot oil.  Make sure you smooth it down and even spread it a little if needed so that it is no fatter in the center than the edges.  Cook it 2 or 3 minutes per side.   Drain on paper towel then move to the baking sheet to keep warm in the oven.   

You will have several batches to cook, so you can make the dipping sauce while you cook.  

Dipping Sauce

I am using the word sauce for lack of a better word.  

-Greek yogurt - or sour cream  - About a cup

-diced onion

-salt

-cilantro -chopped - if you have it

-green onions - chopped

-Something spicy.  I used a little bit of canned chipotle peppers diced up.  You might want to use -diced jalepeno or crushed red pepper.  Horseradish would work also. 

-small lemon

Put the yogurt in a bowl and add everything on the list down to lemon.  With the lemon you want to first zest it.  That means just take a little small grater with a handle on it and grate just the yellow part of the rind straight into the bowl.  There is lots of flavor there!  Then cut the lemon in half and squeeze about half of it into the sauce. 

Stir it up.  Taste it.  You will probably need to add lemon juice or salt.  Or both.  

Serve latkes on a plate with a dollop or two of sauce on the side.

This is good, Y’all!

~Missy