Everything Eggs & Latke’s

Let’s talk Latke! Can I just say these crispy potato pancakes might be on the menu at My Last Supper. They are AMAZING. I have to give credit where credit is due. My sister, Emily, is a Latke goddess. She sent me her recipe for these and I just added in a few more fun ingredients to spice up my life a little more (literally… you’ll see!).

Here’s my big sissy and I at her wedding this past year! Isn’t she the prettiest? Love you Em!

My family loves to make a good brunch now and again, especially around the holidays when we have family coming to visit. Brunch is usually always hosted over at my moms house, and we all pitch in and bring something. Well, when we are lucky enough, Emily will bring her mouth watering Latke’s, and it is such a game changer for brunch time! Let’s be honest though, I would devour these babies up breakfast, lunch, dinner, pre-dinner, post-breakfast, leftover midnight snack… you know, the main meals of the day! What I love so much about Latke’s is how versatile they can be. You can use other root veggies to your potato blend to really add an interesting and visually beautiful twist to your brunch menu! Some of my favorites are beets, carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes, but feel free to get creative with what you add in! Just remember to take moisture into consideration, you really want to make sure you get a lot of that moisture out to achieve that beautiful crispy brown hash brown vibe. I’ll get into that more below. What better way to compliment our golden latke than with an oozy poached egg and some herbs? That was rhetorical… there is no better way. This recipe is seriously a must try!

This Latke recipe will serve about 8 people or so. Play it safe though and make more than you think you’d need, these are seriously addicting and I love having some leftover… just pop them under the broiler to crisp back up and heat through!

Latke Ingredients:

2 lbs russet potatoes

2 medium spanish onions

3 farm fresh eggs (free ranged is best)

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 tbsp country dijon mustard

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp fresh cracked pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Approximately 1/4- 1/2 cup neutral oil (to fry up out latkes in!)

Latke Directions:

Let’s start by cranking up the oven and preheating to 400 degrees! Then get a big oven safe sheet pan ready (you can line with foil if you want to save yourself some clean up), and place a cookie rack to fit into the pan. This helps them get extra crispy when baking in the oven. Also, lightly oil the rack to prevent the risk of your latkes sticking to it. Put that pan to the side- we’ll visit it later!

Then get out a large bowl and line with a cheese cloth or a large towel (durable enough cloth to withstand squeezing and twisting to get out all the liquid and moisture in our potatoes and onions).

Use your food processor with grater attachment or grate using box grater to shred up all your potatoes. No need to peel the potatoes, yay!!! I just wash mine thoroughly and grate with the peel on. I like how it crisps up and adds some nice golden brown color and texture.

Then process or grate your onions. Place potatoes or onions in cloth lined bowl and the two ingredients together to get them incorporated.

I then take each corner of my cloth or towel and bring them together, then I twist up the towel corners and ring out the potatoes and onions over the sink to get out as much moisture as possible! ***It helps if you add a little bit of salt (1/2 tsp or so) to the potatoes and onions and let them sit for about 5 minutes prior to ringing out. The salt helps to draw out the moisture even more, maximizing the amount of liquid you’re able to ring out– therefore EXTRA CRISPY RESULT… ya’ll know I’m all about that!

Once you’re potato/onion mixture is pretty dry, dump it out of your cloth into the bowl (make sure there is no leftover liquid in there!).

Now it’s time to add in all your other ingredients (EXCEPT the oil)! Eggs, spices, cornstarch, mustard all get added in. Leave out the oil, thats to fry out latkes in. Mix ingredients together well so you know each bite you take will have a little bit of every flavor.

Next, get a large cast iron, griddle, or non stick pan ready. Place it over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add in your oil. I like to use coconut oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, etc. Something that can withstand prolonged high heat without burning/browning up.

If you’re doing multiple batches you may need to add more oil between batches. Just keep enough oil in your pan at all times- add more in between batches- so your latkes are crispy! They need lots of oil to get golden brown (as pictured above).

Use a 1/4 measuring cup or eye ball about the side of a hockey puck. Press the latke down a bit to make it flat (about 1/4″ thick) The latkes will crisp up after a couple minutes on each side (about 4 minutes per side, just keep an eye on them and flip when golden brown- it may take more or less time. Just remember they don’t need to be cooked through at this point). Once crisped up place on cookie rack/pan. When all your batches are finished, place in oven for about 8-10 minutes until cooked through.

Meanwhile, lets start working on our perfect poached eggs!

Poached Egg Ingredients:

1-2 farm fresh/free ranged eggs/per person

2 splashes white vinegar (it won’t taste like it, I promise!)

Enough water to fill large flat pan about 1/2 – 3/4 way full

Over Easy Poached Egg

Poaching Directions:

Bring water to a boil, then reduce to low simmer.

Crack your eggs into a large measuring cup or ramekin. It’s good to do this so you can check for shells, and it is also easier to get into your pot without breaking the yolk.

Add a couple splashes of white vinegar to your water. Using a wooden spoon stir water to create whirlpool. Carefully lower measuring cup or ramekin to the water and add egg to whirlpool. Drop one egg at a time, leaving space between them, and carefully whirl up the water as needed to tighten those whites to the yolk.

Once all your eggs are in, turn off the heat and pop the lid on the pot to let them cook for about 3-4 minutes. If you like the yolk more done (less runny), keep them in longer. To remove eggs, use a slotted spoon to ensure you aren’t taking any extra water with you. I blot each of them on a paper towel to remove excess water as well.

Now the best part! Assembling your Everything Eggs & Latkes!

Extra Ingredients for the Topping:

A dollop of sour cream loosened with a splash of milk

A sprinkle of everything seasoning blend (any grocery store pretty much has this- or make your own!)

Thinly sliced scallions or chives

A handful of chopped cilantro (if you don’t like cilantro, feel free to use parsley… The freshness of the herbs are great to balance the fried latkes!)

To Plate:

First lay down two crispy latkes, over lapping a bit, one poached egg (I like a 2:1 ratio, but you do whatever feels right!), dollop a spoonful of your sour cream mixture over the egg. Then sprinkle on your everything seasoning, scallions, and cilantro! Cut into that egg and let that yolk pool all over your potato pancake. I’m drooling right now… Enjoy, friends!

From my happy and healthy belly to yours,

Kate