Potato latkes with a twist

   

    Recently on the NPR Facebook page they had information on celery root.  This root is one that may not be familiar to many people but it is worth a try.  The recipe using this root featured the following recipe for adding it to potato latkes.  With Hanukkah starting next week I think I will give it a try.  Now to find out where to get the celery root.

"Celery Root and Potato Latkes

These are adapted from the terrific Gourmet Today (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009). I usually start grating them by hand as the recipe suggests, and then get fed up and pull out the Cuisinart. It works either way. But the authors point out that the machine makes longer shreds than the grater, so you need a little more egg for binding. I usually run my kitchen scissors through the machine-grated mass of shreds a few times to shorten them, which seems to help.

T. Susan Chang for NPR

Makes 4 servings

1 (1 1/2-pound) celery root, peeled with a knife

1 1/2 pounds russet (baking) potatoes (about 3 large)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 pound onions, quartered

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground celery seed

About 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Put racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 250 degrees. Set a wire rack on each of two baking sheets.

Using the wide holes of a box grater, coarsely grate celery root into a bowl. Peel potatoes and coarsely grate into another large bowl. Add lemon juice and toss. Coarsely grate onions into same bowl as potatoes. Transfer to a kitchen towel (not terry cloth), gather up corners to form a sack and twist tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Return potatoes and onions to cleaned bowl and stir in celery root, flour, eggs, salt, pepper and celery seed until well combined.

Heat 1/3 inch oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Fill a 1/4-cup measure with latke mixture (not tightly packed), carefully spoon it into skillet, and flatten to 3 inches in diameter with a slotted spatula. Form 3 more latkes and fry until undersides are deep golden, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes. Turn over using 2 spatulas and fry until deep golden on second side, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes more. (If latkes brown too quickly, lower heat to moderate.) Transfer to paper towels to drain briefly, then arrange (in a single layer) on rack on one baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Make more latkes in same manner, using second baking sheet for last batches."

P.S.
   I have experimented with latke recipes for years.  I frequently have added shredded carrots and spinach to my latkes.  For those who are more adventurous try adding a few jalapenos!

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