Giant Breakfast Latke
Latkes, or potato fritters pocked with shredded onion and doused with an unholy amount of sour cream and applesauce, are one of the greatest Jewish inventions. If it weren’t for the unctuous after-smell my house takes on post haste or the alarming amount of oil absorbed in one go, I’d be making a lot more latkes. There tends to be a frenetic energy in Jewish households when the fryer is going and the family is gathered; cousins pouncing on fresh pancakes, aunts weighing in on the appropriate time to flip, miscellaneous relatives debating the merits of applesauce versus sour cream, all while the smell of fried onions hangs in the air. This is “family style” at its best - no holdbacks, no silverware. Just tearing, dipping and eating.
But this is not a recipe for those latkes, nor that setting.
If you’ve been to any number of New American restaurants recently, you may have noticed that “family style” is getting a rebrand. Small plates made for sharing, communal atmosphere and convivial service – all an ode to that style of dining where platters are haphazardly passed and everyone’s eating the same thing, only this time, it’s at a trendy restaurant. As my love of food is largely driven by its ability to build community, this is my favorite way to eat.
In Japan, friends took us out for dinner and introduced us to Okonomiyaki, a massive Japanese pancake filled with cabbage and topped with all sorts of magic like bonito flakes, Kewpie mayo (the superior mayonnaise, in case you didn’t know) and scallions. Served on a hot griddle, everyone at the table pulls and tears at it with chopsticks until it (very quickly) disappears. It’s this kind of eating that creates immediate camaraderie, and for me, scratches the itch for frenzied family gatherings, which are few and far between.
This Giant Breakfast Latke has Big Okonomiyaki Energy – sharable, craveable and slightly obscene but also has those nostalgic flavors of oily family gatherings hovered over the latke plate.
It’s a dinner plate sized potato pancake (don’t you dare call it a hash brown) topped with breakfast-y things and devoured with friends. We took some shortcuts on the latke since crispy splintered edges aren’t the game we’re playing, plus the longer cook time gives the outer shell a nice crust. Topped with Perfectly Poached Eggs, avocado slices, a dollop of Greek Yogurt and a sprinkle of sumac, it’s like a diner breakfast walked into a Jewish-inspired all day cafe. If that’s not the universe I want to live in, I don’t know what is.
Enjoy this Giant Breakfast Latke for a Hanukkah brunch next week or on any other morning that deserves something fun and family style.
Ingredients (serves 2-4, depending on sides)
Latke
2 cups potatoes
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 egg plus 1 yolk
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
Kosher salt & black pepper
4 tablespoons oil
Toppings
1 avocado, sliced
1 dollop Greek yogurt
Sumac
Fresh herbs
Flaky sea salt
Black pepper
Peel potatoes and shred using a box grater. Dab with paper towels to absorb some of the moisture.
Add diced onion, egg, flour and spices. Use your hands of a rubber spatula to combine. Mixture should hold together easily. If it’s too dry, add another egg. Too loose – more flour.
Heat oil over medium heat in a ~12 inch skillet. Add latke mixture and pat to cover the entire surface of the skillet. Turn heat to medium-low, cover and let cook for five minutes.
Once the latke is in the skillet, begin heating up water for Perfectly Poached Eggs. Begin poaching after you flip the latke.
Uncover the latke skillet and using your biggest spatula, loosen the edges, work your way under the pancake and quickly flip it over. The surface should be golden and crispy. Cook for another five minutes, uncovered.
Place latke on a dinner plate and arrange poached eggs, avocado, herbs on top. Place a dollop of Greek yogurt in the center. Sprinkle with sumac, flaky sea salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.