POTATOES ARE THE STAGE, OILTHE STAR
Potatoes have long been associated with Hanukkah, which begins Thursday evening, because potato latkes — pancakes made of shredded potatoes — are customary at holiday dinners. In fact, it’s oil that commemorates the Hanukkah miracle, and it can be used in a variety of potato dishes.
After ancient Jerusalem was liberated from invaders, the oil that was needed to rekindle the Holy Temple’s eternal light was said to have miraculously lasted for eight days instead of one. That’s why Hanukkah is celebrated with candle-lighting for eight days.
Olive oil was used in ancient Israel for lighting lamps and for cooking, and this is the oil that we use to prepare our potato dishes for Hanukkah.
Potato kugel, made from a baked mixture of potatoes, eggs and flavorings, is a favorite of ours for the holiday. Some cooks make their kugels from grated potatoes, using a batter that resembles that of potato latkes. In our family, we sometimes prepare mashed potato kugel flavored with mushrooms and onions sauteed in olive oil, dotted with vegetables and seasoned with saffron.
Unlike my mother, who was born in Poland, we fry our potato latkes in olive oil.
Although we frequently serve the standard latke accompaniments of sour cream and applesauce, we like to vary our toppings.
We enjoy eating our potato latkes with yellow pepper cheese sauce and black olives, a popular Peruvian way to serve potatoes.
After all, Peru is where potatoes were first domesticated, and the Peruvians are experts in potato preparation.
Mashed Potato Kugel With Sauteed Mushrooms Yield: 6-8 servings INGREDIENTS
2 1⁄2 pounds yellow-fleshed boiling potatoes, such as baby Dutch Yellow or medium-large Yukon Gold 1 1⁄4 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste Pinch of saffron threads, crushed (about 1⁄8 teaspoon) 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided 1 pound onions (2 medium-large), chopped (about 3 cups) 6 ounces mushrooms, diced (about 2 2⁄3 cups) 1 teaspoon paprika, plus more for sprinkling 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste 1 large carrot (about 5 ounces), diced small (about 1 cup) 1⁄2 cup small broccoli florets 1⁄2 cup frozen peas 4 large eggs 1⁄2 cup chopped Italian parsley 1 hard-boiled egg, diced small Cook’s notes: If using small potatoes with tender skins, you don’t need to peel them.
PROCEDURE
1: In a large saucepan, cover the whole potatoes with water, add a few pinches of salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until they are tender enough to mash, about 25 minutes for small potatoes, 40 minutes for large ones. Transfer them to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour their broth into another bowl.
2: Combine the saffron and 1⁄3 cup hot potato broth in a cup. Let stand, covered, about 30 minutes.
3: Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon paprika and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture browns lightly, about 7 minutes. Taste; adjust seasoning.
4: Return 2 cups potato broth to the saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add the carrot and broccoli. Cook uncovered over high heat for 5 minutes. Add the peas; boil until the vegetables are tender, about 1 minute. Remove them with a slotted spoon.
5: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If using large potatoes, peel them. Finely mash the potatoes in batches with a potato masher; if using small, unpeeled potatoes, remove large pieces of peel that come off easily.
6: Stir in the saffron mixture and 2 tablespoons oil, then the uncooked eggs one by one. Add 1 1⁄4 teaspoons salt and 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper; mix well. Lightly stir in the parsley, mushroom mixture, vegetables and hard-boiled egg.
7: Oil a 2-quart baking dish. Spoon in the potato mixture; smooth the top. Drizzle with the remaining oil. Sprinkle with paprika.
8: Bake uncovered until the top is firm and golden, about 50 minutes. Let stand 30 minutes before serving.
9: Serve hot or warm. Run a knife around the edges to make serving easier. Serve with a spoon.
Potato Latkes With Peruvian Yellow Pepper Cheese Sauce
Fried latkes can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat them on a cookie sheet in a 450-degree oven for a few minutes. Yield: 4-5 appetizer servings
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon ground white pepper
11⁄4-11⁄3 pounds russet potatoes (about 3 or 4) 1 medium-large onion (about 8 ounces), peeled, halved 1 large egg
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for frying), more if needed
Yellow pepper cheese sauce, room temperature, plus extra pepper puree (see recipe)
15 black olives
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
3 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
PROCEDURE
1: To keep the latkes warm, heat oven to 250 degrees. Have a baking sheet ready. Line a plate with paper towels.
2: Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and white pepper in a small bowl.
3: Peel the potatoes. Using a coarse grating or shredding disc of a food processor or the large holes of a grater, grate the potatoes and onion, alternating potato and onion. Transfer the mixture to a strainer. Squeeze it by handfuls, removing as much liquid as possible. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
4: Add the egg; mix well. Add the flour mixture; mix well. 5: Heat 1⁄2 cup oil in a deep, heavy, large skillet over medium heat. For each latke, slide 1 heaping tablespoonful potato mixture into the pan. Flatten it with the back of a spoon to a pancake about 2 1⁄2 inches in diameter. Add more pancakes without crowding. Fry them until crisp and golden brown, about 4 minutes per side; use 2 pancake turners to turn them carefully so the oil doesn’t spatter. Transfer them to paper towels. Stir the batter before frying each batch. Reduce the heat if necessary so the pancakes don’t become too dark. Add more oil to the pan as needed; heat it before adding more latkes. Keep them warm on the baking sheet in the oven. If the last few spoonfuls of batter are watery, leave the liquid in the bowl to prevent spatters. 6: Before serving, pat the latkes with paper towels. Serve hot or warm with the sauce, extra pepper puree, olives, parsley and hard-boiled egg quarters.
Yellow Pepper Cheese Sauce
Frozen aji amarillo, Peruvian yellow peppers, can be found at markets that carry South American ingredients. To substitute sweet peppers, see the variation.
about 1 cup, 4-5 servings
Yield: INGREDIENTS
2 frozen Peruvian yellow peppers (scant 3 ounces), thawed, halved, seeds and membranes removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1⁄3 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, chopped (1 teaspoon)
1 cup (packed) queso fresco (fresh Mexican cheese, about 5.3 ounces), cut in small pieces
1⁄2 cup whole milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
PROCEDURE
1. Pepper puree: Cut the peppers in pieces. In a blender, puree the peppers with 1 tablespoon oil to a paste. Transfer to a bowl; don’t wash blender yet.
2: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until softened but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and heat for a few seconds, stirring. Cool the mixture in a bowl.
3: Put the onion mixture in the blender. Add the cheese, 1⁄3 cup milk and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pepper puree. Blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, gradually blend in more milk at low speed. Scrape down the blender sides. Blend the sauce again until smooth. Add salt, pepper and more pepper puree to taste.
4: Reserve the remaining pepper puree for serving separately.
Variation: Substitute 1⁄2 yellow bell pepper for Peruvian peppers. Remove core and seeds. Broil the pepper half, skin side up, on foil until skin blackens in spots, about 5 minutes. Enclose pepper in foil. Let cool. Peel with paring knife. Puree with oil, following Step 1, and add hot pepper sauce to taste.