Yield: 10-12 servings
Prep: 40 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Recipe Courtesy of: Amy Kritzer @whatjewwannaeat

Ingredients

• 2 pounds russet potatoes (approximately), washed (to get 5 cups shredded)
• Ice water
• 2 tablespoons white onion grated (optional, you can add more too for more onion flavor)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon potato starch (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup canola oil (or other oil for frying like grapeseed)

• 2 medium eggplants
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon zaatar
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, sliced thin

Preparation

1. Peel your potatoes one at a time and shred them with the large holes of a box grater into a bowl of ice water. You should have about 5 cups of potatoes. Then grate the onions into the bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Remove potato/onion mixture, squeezing out the moisture into the water. Dry potatoes very well with towels or cheesecloth and keep covered. Let the water sit for 5-10 minutes for the starch to accumulate on the bottom. Carefully drain water, reserving the white starch on the bottom. This part is optional, but it helps make crispier latkes with soft insides. The ideal latke! You can also add potato starch to the potato mixer directly to create a similar effect.
3. Place potato/onion mixture in a large bowl, dry again very well. Then add in the eggs, flour and salt and reserved dried-off starch and combine.
4. Set up a cooling rack over paper towels.
5. Heat up about ¼ inch of canola oil in a large (cast iron) sauté pan. Pro tip- add a little piece of peeled carrot to the oil to soak up the brown bits that flake off so they don't get in your latkes!
6. Scoop heaping 1/4 cup spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the oil (they should sizzle!) and flatten slightly and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Then flip and fry the other side another 2 minutes. Don't overcrowd the pan.
7. Repeat with remaining latke batter, drying it again if liquid starts to accumulate. Drain on a rack over paper towels and sprinkle with more salt.

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the eggplants in half the long way and drizzle olive oil on the cut sides. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for 35-45 minutes or until very tender.
2. Let the eggplants cool slightly and scoop out the inside into a sieve to drain. Remove the seeds which helps remove bitterness.
3. Place the eggplant flesh in a food processor with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Process until smooth.
4. Serve room temperature with latkes with a sprinkle of za’atar and a garnish of mint.

Take a look at our recommended pairing below.