Latkes Topped with Cranberry Compote and Goat Cheese

Latkes Topped with Cranberry Compote and Goat Cheese
Recipe Courtesy of: Amy Kritzer @whatjewwannaeat
Yield:10-12 servings
Prep:30 minutes
Cook:30 minutes
Total Time:1 hour
Yield:10-12 servings
Prep:30 minutes
Cook:30 minutes
Total Time:1 hour

Ingredients

Classic Latkes:

  • 2 lb russet potatoes (approximately), washed (to get 5 cups shredded)

  • Ice water

  • 2 tbsp white onion grated (optional, you can add more too for more onion flavor)

  • 2 large eggs

  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

  • 1 tbsp potato starch (optional)

  • 1 tsp salt

  • ½ cup canola oil (or other oil for frying like grapeseed)

Cranberry Compote and Goat Cheese Topping:

  • 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries

  • ⅓ cup orange juice

  • ½ cup water (or more as needed)

  • 1/8 tsp salt

  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon

  • Orange zest

  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts

  • 4 oz goat cheese

Preparation

For Classic Latkes:

  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 ¼ 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.

For Cranberry Compote and Goat Cheese Topping:

  1. In a small, heavy bottomed saucepan, add the cranberries, orange juice, water, salt and cinnamon.

  2. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until cranberries cook down and sauce is thick, adding more water if the cranberries start to stick to the pot.

  3. Top with orange zest and a sprinkle of walnuts to garnish.

  4. To serve, top each latke with goat cheese and then some of the room temperature cranberry compote with orange zest and walnuts.

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