Carrot Latkes

March 4, 2020

Jill Melton

“I created this appetizer for an event we catered last spring to utilize the dozens of carrots we harvested on our farm, though any combination of root vegetables you have on hand will work. To impart a good smoky flavor to these latkes, cook them in rendered local bacon fat and season them with paprika and smoked Maldon sea salt. (Or, if you’re Kosher or vegetarian, pick up a bottle of Smoked Olive Oil from Green Door Gourmet to use instead.) Living on a farm teaches you to waste nothing. Including those wild chives growing in your yard right now. So, to brighten up the dish, go outside and grab a handful for the sauce. Take sustainability one step further and chop up the carrot tops for garnish!”–Chef Laura Rodriguez

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons lemon juice

6 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chopped wild or store bought chives

splash of water

sea salt to taste

6 medium carrots, grated

2 medium red potatoes, grated

1/2 large red onion, grated

2 eggs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon smoky paprika

2t easpoons Maldon Smoked Sea Salt

pinch ground black pepper

bacon fat or smoked olive oil for pan frying

wild chives, sliced thin for garnish

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 200F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. To prepare aioli, place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

3. To prepare latkes, thoroughly squeeze liquid out of shredded vegetables (yielding about 3/4 cup liquid) and discard liquid. Place in large mixing bowl. Add eggs and next four ingredients and mix well.

4. Cook silver dollar sized latkes in a hot pan coated with bacon fat or smoked olive oil until lightly browned and crispy around the edges (about 45 seconds per side).

5. Remove latkes from pan and place on sheet. Keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining batter.

6. Serve latkes drizzled with wild chive aioli. Garnish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika, smoked salt, and sliced chives or carrot tops.