Asian Latkes With Gingered Sour Cream Recipes

Steps:

• For the caramelized onion sour cream: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onion, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring, until the onions are golden brown and caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Let cool.
• Mix together the onion mixture, sour cream, onion powder, a few turns of black pepper and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• For the potato latkes: Meanwhile, using the shredding attachment on a food processor (or mandoline), shred the potatoes, onions and garlic. Line a colander with 2 layers of cheesecloth and set it over a bowl or in the sink. Add the shredded mixture to the cheesecloth and sprinkle with the kosher salt. Let sit for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Gather up the edges of the cheesecloth and use your hands to squeeze out any excess moisture.
• In a large bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, lemon juice, eggs, a few turns of black pepper and the potato mixture. Stir in the scallions.
• In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering; it's ready when a strand of potato added to the oil immediately starts to sizzle. Use a 1/2-cup ice cream scoop to add compact scoops of the mixture to the oil, spacing them out so as not to crowd the pan. Press the scoops down lightly with a spatula to get 1/2-inch-thick patties. Fry until golden brown on both sides, a few minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towels and sprinkle with flaky or kosher salt. Repeat with the remaining mixture, adding more oil to the pan as needed between batches.
• Sprinkle the caramelized onion sour cream with chopped scallions and serve with the warm latkes.

Steps:

• For the garlic cumin sour cream: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the garlic horizontally, drizzle with olive oil and wrap in tin foil. Place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove, cool and mash the cloves into a paste. While the garlic is cooking, get a small saute pan hot over medium-low heat and toast the cumin seeds for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Then either grind up the toasted cumin in a spice grinder or chop with a knife until fine. Mix the sour cream with the toasted cumin, parsley and the roasted garlic. Reserve.
• For the latkes: Fill a pot three-quarters of the way up with water and add the potatoes. Bring the water to a boil, and then turn down the heat to a low boil. Boil until the potatoes are completely cooked (a knife slides in very easily), 20 to 30 minutes.
• While the potatoes are boiling, heat up a pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Saute the leeks with the garlic until soft with no color. Season well with salt and pepper, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for another 3 minutes. Then take off the heat.
• Once the potatoes are ready, place in a large bowl and mix in the sauteed leek mixture, nutmeg, the remaining 5 tablespoons butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper, and reserve.
• Whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl or dish and set aside. Add the breadcrumbs and the flour to two separate plates. Season the flour well with salt and pepper.
• Roll a ball with the potato mixture that easily fits in the palms of your hands, about 2 tablespoons, and flatten slightly to make a patty. You don't want them too thick or too big. Dredge the potato patty with the flour, shaking off the excess. Dunk in the eggs and then coat with the breadcrumbs.
• Get a large pan hot over medium-high heat, add an inch of canola oil and fry when the temperature reaches 350 degrees F. Remove from oil when the latkes are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot with the garlic cumin sour cream.

Steps:

• Coarsely grate potatoes with a hand grater or in a food processor fitted with coarse grating disk. Squeeze between several thicknesses of paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible.
• Transfer potatoes to bowl of an electric mixer, add cilantro and ginger, and toss with a spoon. Stir in breadcrumbs, cream, and butter, and season with salt and pepper.
• Using paddle attachment, beat mixture at low speed for 2 minutes to blend. If mixture seems too wet to form into balls, beat in more breadcrumbs, a few teaspoons at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Let the mixture rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat without any oil. Using a tablespoon, form mixture into 1-inch balls. Place 6 to 8 balls in skillet and cook, pressing gently with spatula to flatten, until undersides are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn pancakes over and continue to cook, pressing occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Use remaining batter to make more pancakes in same manner. Serve warm.