Wowza! When we put out a call for entries into this year’s latke festival where amateurs will spar with chefs to see who has the best potato pancakes around, we were expecting something…well, amateurish. But this year’s nominee, Micah Fredman, simply blew us away with his recipe for Yucca and Sweet Potato Latke with Apple Plantain Sorbet, Queso Fresco, Pickled Onion, Cilantro and Spicy Green Hot Sauce.
Now on Monday, December 10th, Fredman will take on chefs from these restaurants at the Fourth Annual Latke Festival we’re co-hosting with Great Performances at BAM. If you don’t have your tickets yet, snag one here to enjoy lots of latke and lots of drinks (including kombucha, wine, beer and vodka). Til then, we dare you to try this at home.
Yucca and Sweet Potato Latke with Apple Plantain Sorbet, Queso Fresco, Pickled Onion, Cilantro and Spicy Green Hot Sauce
Latke
1 yucca
1 sweet potato
2 shallot
1 small onion
5 cloves garlic
2 jalapeños
1-2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
Salt
Pepper
Sorbet
2 Granny Smith apples
2 plantains
2 cinnamon sticks
Lemon juice
Cider vinegar
Salt
Simple syrup
Pickled onion
1 red onion
2 cups Rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 T salt
1 large beet chopped
1 tsp each black peppercorn, coriander, fennel seed
Hot sauce
1 bunch cilantro
1 clove garlic
3 jalapeños
Water
Oil
Garnish
Queso fresco
Delfino cilantro
For latke: Peel yucca and cut into large chunks. Boil until soft and mash. Grate sweet potato and mince the onion shallot garlic and jalapeños and combine with mashed yucca. Add egg(s), salt and pepper.
For sorbet: simmer apples and plantains with a toasted cinnamon stick separately until soft. Purée together and season to taste with salt syrup lemon juice and vinegar. Process in ice cream maker.
For pickled onion: slice onion thinly on mandolin. Toast spices and place in a sachet with beet. Bring remaining ingredients to a simmer and pour over onions. Keep onions submerged.
For hot sauce: place ingredients in a blender adding enough water to allow to blend or achieve hot sauce consistency. When blended add oil in thin stream to emulsify hot sauce.
Fry latkes in oil until golden brown. Garnish with crumbled queso fresco, pickled onion, balls of sorbet, hot sauce and picked sprigs of cilantro.
