Hi internet, I wish I could write a post about another camping trip, but it is getting colder and I do have more (albeit non-camping) travel lined up soon. In the meantime I'll talk about latkes, also known as Jewish gourmet potato chips. I've never made them and couldn't even remember if I'd tried them because my mom always complained that they take too much work. I actually agree with her on that...
This is a recipe from Binging with Babish, who is probably the straightest man I have a crush on. He does a good job coming up with some Jewish-sounding latke toppings in that video.
Ingredients
-4 large russet potatoes (or 6 medium russet potatoes). It's important that they're russet - I tried using any old potato and those didn't come out as crispy.
-1 small onion
-3-4 eggs
-1 cup panko breadcrumbs
-Vegetable oil (a lot of it - at least 24 oz)
-Box grater
The Recipe
First off you're going to want to peel your potatoes and derobe your onion. Then grate your potatoes and onions using the smallest setting on your box grater. Babish recommends to grate your onion in the middle of the potato-grating process so everything mixes together.
Once you're done with this, place your grated potatoes and onion in a clean dry cloth and wring over a bowl. Wring it until there's no water left (you should be able to wring out at least 1/2 cup of water). Use those 💪💪
Let your potato water sit for 5 minutes. This will allow the potato starch (which we will use for binding) settle to the bottom. Once the 5 minutes is up, drain the potato water, leaving the white starch at the bottom of the bowl.
Mix 3 eggs into this bowl until the eggs and starch are fully mixed. Then, in a larger bowl, dump your grated potatoes and onion and pour over the egg-starch mixture, plus the breadcrumbs. Mix until the mixture holds together when pressed. You might need a fourth egg to achieve this.
Then shape into balls that you flatten with your hands into discs. Place on a flat surface (like a cutting board).
Get out a pan that is good with high temperatures (e.g. a stainless steel pan) and coat it with a 1/2-inch-deep layer of oil. Heat up until the oil reaches 375 degrees F. Then gingerly place your latkes in the oil. Fry each side for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Then take them out and place them over some paper towels or a wire rack so that the oil drains.
The Result
These are topped with cream cheese and cherry preserves. You can top them with anything you like; I know applesauce is a traditional option.
These latkes were crispy and tasted like potato chips on the outside, and soft on the inside. They are very tasty, but they are also a lot of work. I like physical activity, but not in my cooking. Cooking is for being lazy and hobbit-like. So I don't know if I'll be making these very often. But they seem like the perfect holiday treat.
Thank you for reading. Next blog post will probably be related to cranberries, which just started showing up in the grocery store 🦃
~Avi
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