Goat Cheese and Rosemary Potato Latke

For me one of the best parts of Hanukkah is the delicious, savory, hot and crispy Latkes. I am a big fan of frying and also a big fan of potatoes. I like to find ways to add one of my favorite foods the potato Latkes to a meal all year round, but on Hanukkah they are the shining star of the table.

There are many things you can incorporate with the basic Latke recipe. By adding different herbs, cheeses or using different vegetables or potatoes as your base. I like to use a Yukon gold potato for it's creamy ,smooth texture and buttery flavor. to add a little bit of sophistication I thought an hereby cheesy Latke would be just lovely.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes peeled and chopped in 1 " chunks

1 large yellow onion chopped in 1" chunks

2 eggs beaten

1/3 cup flour

4 ounces goat cheese crumbled

2 tablespoons or 3 sprigs rosemary stripped and chopped

2 Tablespoons or 15 blades chives chopped plus a few more for garnish

salt and pepper

vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

Using a food processor with the chopping blade or a hand grater, grate the potatoes while intermittently adding the onions into the mix.

Place the grated potatoes and onions in a colander. Press down on the mixture with a clean dish towel pressing out as much liquid as possible.

In a large bowl mix the grated potatoes with the eggs , flour, goat cheese, rosemary, chives, salt & pepper till well blended.

To help prolong the potatoes from changing color, I like to cover the bowl of the potato mixture with plastic wrap that is laying right on top hugging the mixture so it is not exposed to the air. As you are using the potato mixture to cook, peel back one side of the plastic wrap to uncover as little of the mixture as possible.

In a large skillet heat 1/2" deep vegetable oil till it is hot and ready to fry. Using a large spoon or serving spoon, drop a spoonful of mixture into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan cooking 4 to 5 latkes at a time. Cook them till they are golden brown, then flip to cook other side.

Drain the Latkes on a stack of paper towels. I like to recycle a paper bag and lay that flat under the paper towels so the oil doesn't seep through to the counter. I also try to avoid as much oil splatter clean up as possible, so I like to cover the other burners and the stove top with foil.

Where we keep it Kosher