Latkes With Celery And Herbs Recipes

CELERY ROOT-MUSHROOM LATKES

Steps:

• Whisk the sour cream with the chives, vinegar and a pinch of salt in a small bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Grate the potato, celery root and onion on the large holes of a box grater into a colander set over a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, toss well and let stand 5 minutes. Squeeze handfuls of the mixture firmly with your hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Blot dry with paper towels, then transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the beaten egg, matzo meal or flour, mushrooms, thyme and garlic to the potato mixture and toss well to combine. Scoop 1/4 cupfuls of the mixture and tightly pack into thin 3- to 4-inch pancakes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
• Preheat the oven to 250˚. Heat 1/4 inch vegetable oil or chicken fat in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in three batches, fry the latkes until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side, reducing the heat as needed if the latkes are browning too quickly. Remove to a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and more thyme. Keep warm in the oven while you make the remaining latkes. Serve with the chive sour cream.

CELERY-ROOT AND POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 250°F.
• Coarsely grate celery root into a bowl using the 1/3-inch-wide holes of a box grater.
• Peel potatoes and coarsely grate into a large bowl. Add lemon juice and toss. Coarsely grate onions into same bowl.
• Transfer to towel, then 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 seeds until combined well.
• 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 (not tightly packed) with latke mixture and carefully spoon it into skillet, then flatten to 3 inches in diameter with a slotted spatula. Form 3 more latkes in skillet, then fry until undersides are deep golden, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes. Turn over using 2 spatulas and fry until deep golden all over, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes more. (If latkes brown too quickly, lower heat to moderate.) Transfer to paper towels to drain briefly. Keep warm in 1 layer on a metal rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven. Make more latkes in same manner. Use a second rack and baking pan to keep last batches warm.

CELERY ROOT-PARSNIP LATKES

Steps:

• Place grated celery root, parsnips and onion in a large bowl. Sprinkle in matzo meal and toss mixture together with your hands. Add parsley, eggs, salt and pepper and combine again using your hands until ingredients are incorporated.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Take a heaping tablespoon of the mixture and flatten between your palms. Fry latkes, without moving them, for 4 to 5 minutes, checking that they don't over-brown. (You should be able to fry them in batches of 11 to 12, depending on pan size.) Flip latkes, turn heat down to medium-low and fry another 4 minutes, or until well browned and tender. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with additional salt. Serve warm.