Latke Iron Chef

Last week, my friend Sarah and I were in a Latke Iron Chef competition. We had to create two different kinds of latkes; one using a sweet potato and one using a white potato. We also got a country where we had to use the flavours of that country in our latke recipe. We had the Netherlands. We WON first place! So these are our award winning latkes!

The white potato latke was called, "Meggs Benny" (my name and Sarah's last name, Benmergui). It was a latke eggs benedict. I don't think I've ever been so proud! These were unreal! Our sweet potato one was called, "Dutch Apple Pie". We didn't think anything could compete with 'Meggs Benny' but they did! Here are the recipes!

'Meggs Benny' Latke

The Latke

3-4 medium potatoes

1/2 - 1 onion

2 eggs

3-4 tbls. flour

1 teas. baking powder

1 teas .salt

1/2 teas. pepper

cheesecloth

canola oil

Hollandaise Sauce

1/2 cup butter (room temp)

1/2 lemon (juice)

1/8 teas. salt

dash white pepper

3 egg yolks

Poached Egg + Toppings

1 small egg per person

salt

paprika

fresh chives

Latke Directions

1. Grate potatoes and onion and rinse with water.

2. Squeeze potato and onion mixture in a cheesecloth until dry-ish.

3. Mix potato and onion mixture with eggs, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. It should be a wett-ish batter. 

4. Turn oven to 200 degrees.

5. Heat oil in pan (about 1/4 inch deep) on medium/high heat.

6. Drop about 3 tbls. worth of mixture into hot oil, and gently flatten it out with a spoon. (I can fit about 4 latkes in one big pan)

7. Cook until dark brown on each side. And put in oven to keep warm!

Hollandaise Sauce Directions

This hollandaise sauce is super easy! Don't be intimidated!

1. Cut the butter into several pieces (make sure it's room temperature)

2. In the top of a double boiler, combine lemon juice, salt, pepper and egg yolks.

3. Add one piece of butter.

4. Cook, stirring steadily, with a whisk, over but NOT touching the boiling water.

5. When butter melts and sauce begins to thicken, add remaining butter stirring constantly until melted. 

6. Continue stirring until sauce thickens, about 1-2 more minutes.

7. Immediately remove from heat and keep it on the back of the stove to keep warm.

(Don't worry if sauce curdles a bit! You just have to add a little bit of hot water and it will go back to normal)

Poached Eggs Directions

1. Boil water in a small pot and add salt. (I use the same water from the bottom of the double boiler)

2. Drop your small egg in (not more than 2 at a time) and lightly swirl the water so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.

3. Time 2 minutes and 30 seconds!!!

4. Take it out with a slotted spoon and place on top of a latke.

5. Salt the egg and spoon the hollandaise sauce on the poached egg. 

6. Sprinkle with paprika and fresh chives. 

VOILA!

'Dutch Apple Pie' Latke

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato

3-4 granny smith apples (peeled)

cinnamon (as much as your want)

2-3 tbsp. flour

2 eggs

cheesecloth

panko bread crumbs

caramel sauce

creme fraiche (or sour cream or mascarpone cheese)

fleur de sel

Directions

1. Grate potato and apples and rinse with water.

2. Squeeze dry with a cheesecloth.

3. In a bowl, mix the potato/apple mixture with flour, eggs and cinnamon.

(The mixture has to be pretty wet so the panko sticks to it, if you want to add another egg, that's cool).

4. Heat oil in a pan (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep) on medium/high heat.

5. Make a ball in your hands with the mixture (about 3 tbsp. worth) and flatten in slightly.

5. Heavily sprinkle each side with panko.

6. Fry until each side is dark brown.

7. Top with a dollop of creme fraiche, drizzle each latke with caramel sauce and sprinkle some fleur de del.