POTATO PAN LATKE.
This is not just any latke, it is a reworked version perfect for Chanukah, Christmas and summer holiday eating. (See below for the Chanukah story in a nutshell).
For the first time in 20 years, Chanukah (eve) falls on Christmas day. It won’t happen again until 2184.
This is a simple yet beautiful dish that ticks all the festive season boxes. A giant, golden crisp-edged potato latke (there’s the Chanukah bit) topped with lashings of rich sour cream (indulgent!), Victorian Yarra Valley salmon caviar (a nod to Australia and it’s sort of red) and snipped chives (there’s your green!) And it can feed one, two or a crowd, as you wish.
I am a proud Jewish Australian (although lately I have felt more like an Australian Jew) who has always loved living in a country that celebrates Christmas, and the festive season has always filled me with joy. Check out my article in The Jewish Independent today, “This Christmas I Give You My Heart”.
(And if you want that Toblerone and Roasted Almond “tree” recipe, it is here.)
Chanukah is a Jewish festival which celebrates a miracle that happened in 165 BCE. In a nutshell, Jerusalem had been seized in battle by the Seleucid King Antiochus IV and in his quest to stop Jewish practices, he defiled the Jewish (second) temple. When the Jewish warriors (the Macabees) stormed the city and reclaimed Jerusalem (and Judea, which is now Israel), they needed to make the Temple holy again by lighting the sacred candle. There was only enough oil to keep the flame going for one day, but it lasted eight days which gave them enough time to replenish the oil supply and keep it burning indefinitely. And so we celebrate this miracle by eating food fried in oil.
If you’re still with me, here’s a little temple history for you. The first Jewish Temple was built in 960 BCE and it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. When the Jews eventually returned from exile, the Second Temple was built. It was renovated by King Herod in 37 BCE (he also built Caesarea and Masada) and destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. The ruins are what we now call the Kotel, or the Western Wall.
Now tell me that Israel is not the homeland of the Jewish people! This is actually the greatest story of an indigenous people overcoming centuries of attempted colonisation by so many different empires, each of which no longer exists.
Happy Chanukah. Merry Christmas. Happy holidays. And Am Yisrael Chai!
Lisa x
POTATO PAN LATKE
Equipment
- 24 cm frying pan (or larger) (non stick if possible)
Ingredients
- 600 g desiree potatoes (or frying potatoes)
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 heaped tablespoon plain flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- oil for frying
To serve
- 1 tub creme fraiche or sour cream
- 1 small jar salmon caviar (roe)
- ½ bunch chives snipped or chopped
Instructions
- Peel and grate the potatoes. Place in a colander over a bowl for 15 minutes to drain. Squeeze the grated potato with your hands so that any liquid drains to the bowl below.
- Tip the potato into a large bowl. Tip the water off the collected sludge (starch) at the bottom of the bowl and discard. Scrape the sludge into the potato. Add the eggs and flour, then season generously with salt and pepper to taste, mixing well. Work quickly, it is best to cook the mixture immediately.
- Add enough oil to the frying pan to reach a depth of around 1/2 cm and heat on medium high until hot. The oil is ready when a few strands of potato sizzle when you put them in the oil. Carefully spoon the mixture into the hot oil and spread evenly across the pan, without pressing down.
- Cook for about 12 minutes or until the underside is crisp and deep golden brown. Using 2 spatulas, gently flip the latke. Take care with the hot oil!(If it is too hard to flip in the pan, slide it onto a light plate, flip onto another light plate and then slide back into the pan.)
- When both sides are golden and crisp (the second side will take less time), and taking care with the hot oil, slide the latke on to a wire rack (set over a couple of paper towels) for a couple of minutes to remove any excess oil.
- If cooking ahead of time, do not drain, put it straight onto an oven tray. Reheat in a 180℃ (355℉) oven for 10 minutes or until sizzling.
- Serve warm with crème fraiche (or sour cream), salmon caviar and chives
