This first day of Chanukkah, and crispy, golden latkes dance sugarplum-wise in our heads.
Matzo, potatoes, and... jalapeños??!!
Manhattan Chef Julian Medina, of Mexican origins, owns some Mexican restaurants in New York and married into a Jewish family, so decided to fuse-up the cuisines around his house with his creation: Jalepeño potato latkes...
We're not Jews, but we loves us some Christmas tradition, so we eat these with sour cream. But no applesauce on these bad hombres.. we slather 'em down with green chile salsa, the kind served in Michoacán. Rice & beans add a holiday touch.
Jalepeño Potato Latkes
12 pieces (2 per person)
Ingredients:
2 Large russet potatoes, peeled
1 Egg yolk
½ cup Matzo meal
1 Jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1 t Kosher salt
Olive oil for frying
To Make:
1) Using a box grater, coarsely grate the potatoes into a medium-size bowl. Add the egg yolk, jalapeño, salt, and matzo meal; mix well and let cool in the refrigerator for five minutes to allow ingredients to bind.
2) Remove bowl from refrigerator and drain off any excess liquid.
3) Over a medium flame, heat ½ cup olive oil in a 10-inch skillet until hot but not smoking. Take 1 heaping tablespoon of the potato mixture at a time and place into the pan, being careful not to crowd the latkes. Cook each latke until golden brown on both sides (approximately five minutes total).
4) Transfer latkes to a paper-towel-lined plate, add additional salt if desired. Add ¼ to ½ cup of olive oil (if needed) to pan and repeat process with remaining latke mixture.
5) Serve immediately
(Recipe courtesy Chef Julian Medina, and PRI's The World (KUOW m-thurs, 4-5p)
Recent Comments