Potato Pancakes with Dill

I’m sorry to say that I’ve neglected you, my friends. July was an extremely hectic month for me, and I’m sad to admit that I probably spent less than 10 hours in the kitchen the. entire. month. Tres pathetic, I know. But I did find a new home for this here blog on the Upper East Side, so expect a housewarming post in the future (and new roommates!)

Oh, and summer? I’m officially so over it. The easy breezy days of June have now fully morphed into the sticky, heavy dog days of August. You’d think that that would mean that I would spend more time indoors, and therefore possibly in the kitchen, but I’ve become too lazy to do anything other than pick up a phone to order delivery. (Oven usage ended in July.) Instead, I’ve been watching lots of Friday Night Lights, playing a ton of Words with Friends, counting down the days until fall and just being generally unproductive.

And to top it all off, the recipe I bring for you today is not even seasonal! Trust me, I know what you’re thinking: Potato pancakes? In summer? Shouldn’t all summer food involve some form of tomatoes, corn, eggplant and watermelon? I mean, they’re going to leave the markets soon!

Yes, you all are very right. The second I have to start paying $6 for a pint of blueberries again, I’ll miss summer greatly. But right now, I can’t eat another kernel of corn any more. Peach juice has stained all of my clothing. My fingers are permanently blue from all the blueberries I’ve eaten and I’m pretty sure I’ll never need lipstick again, since my lips are dyed red from the cherries. I need something that reminds me of fall (or in this case, Hanukah)*.

And these potato pancakes, or latkes, if you will,  are a pretty good reason to return to colder days. The recipe comes entirely from my cousin, who decided one day that he was going to become a hash brown master, somehow ended up with potato pancakes instead and has rolled with it ever since. I added dill to them this time, deemed them delicious for breakfast, brunch, appetizers or dinner, and then waited more than two weeks to tell you about them. I’m very sorry. At least they are well worth the wait.

*So maybe I bought all of this dill for $1 at a summer farmer’s market a few weeks ago. And maybe that same dill will cost an arm and a leg in a few months. And so, in theory, I should be somewhat appreciative of summer’s bounty. But in the immortal words of Joy Behar, “so what? Who cares?”

Potato Pancakes with Dill

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Description

This technique of using a food processor and then a cheesecloth is adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

We made these pancakes pretty small, which means they’re extra crispy. Make them larger if you like a more pancake-like inner texture. They’re heavenly paired with smoked salmon, sour cream and capers.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 3–4 medium-sized Idaho or Russet potatoes (2 pounds), peeled
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon pepper
• vegetable oil for frying

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Instructions

1. Once you have peeled the potatoes, soak them in cold water for at least a half hour — this rids them of some of their starchiness and allows them to crisp up better when you fry.
2. Use a food processor (or grate by hand) to shred the potatoes into coarse strands. Using a cheesecloth or dish towel, squeeze the strands tightly to remove as much water from the potatoes as possible. Let it sit for a minute, then squeeze again. Dry strands = crispy latkes, so use that arm strength!
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, eggs, dill, salt and pepper. Add the onions and the drained potatoes. Mix until everything comes together.
4. Lightly coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil and heat until almost smoking (make sure your vent fan is on). Drop flattened tablespoon-sized patties of the potato mixture into the skillet and cook until the edges are browned, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another minute, until the bottom has also browned. Drain on paper towels. Repeat for the rest of the potato mixture, adding more oil as needed.

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Notes

• You can make these up to 2 days ahead of time. Refrigerate until an hour before using, then bring them to room temperature and lay them flat on a cookie sheet and reheat in a 400F oven for 30 minutes. Perfect for hosting brunch or a Hanukkah party where you don’t want to slave over the stove for hours.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 3