Our former Web Editor Jay Firestone was coming over last Sunday to shoot a Foodaism “How to Make Latkes Video.” Neither one of us was overly excited about the prospect. There are a lot of latke how to videos on the Web by now, and I’d already written and posted my magnum latke opus, years ago. What, beyond my unruly Sunday morning hair, did we have to bring to the party?
Jay told me that lying in bed that morning he had an inspiration: a spoof on the nefarious KFC Double Down Chicken Sandwich commercial. The Double Down was introduced a few months ago, but it’s already fast food legend: bacon and cheese sandwiched between two fried chicken breasts. The meat is the bread—get it? I guess it means you double down on fat, sodium and the chance you’ll end up dying at 40 and being buried in a shipping container.
And yes, I know you can get the breasts grilled rather than fried, like that’s the healthy alternative.
Jay stopped at a KFC on the way over to buy the authentic set design elements, and as you’ll see he even Photoshopped my head into the logo.
Story and complete recipe continue after the jump.
When he told me the idea, I figured a Double Down Latke sandwich should have lox, chives and crème fraiche instead of bacon and cheese. But I had to substitute chopped lettuce and onion for the chives. When I went out to the garden, I discovered the goats had mowed my chives down to the nubs. Next week: kosher birria…..
The recipe is below. I’ve begun to make latkes by grating the potatoes directly into water, then wringing them out well in a kitchen towel. It keeps them pearly white and crisp. You can add the chopped or grated onion and garlic right to the water, or after, along with the eggs.
Once the latkes are fried, you slather on crème fraiche or sour cream, lay down your lox, the onion, another shmear of crème fraiche, and that’s your sandwich. It really is delicious—it brought me back to dinners at the old Hamburger Hamlet with my folks, when I’d always order “Those Potatoes,” a huge skillet of hash browns layered with sour cream and, I think, green onions. I’d devour those, looking at the posters on the walls for old productions of Hamlet, thinking—What does Hamlet have to do with this place?
It took me all of 20 minutes to make the Double Down Latke Sandwich. Grate, wring, fry, slather. I could have done it faster, but you’ll notice I spent so much time in hair, makeup and wardrobe.
The quickness makes its own point. I’m a big fan of the Slow Food movement. But don’t let the catchy name fool you. The key distinction isn’t fast food versus slow food, but good food over crap food. You can put together good, healthy, real food in the same amount of time it takes to make or order bad fast food. Sometimes real food does just take longer, but in our daily lives the key is to fill whatever time we have, or make, with the best food we can.
By the way, this Double Down Latke Sandwich is just delicious. I mean, wow. Happy Chanukah.
Ingredients:
1 pound potatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 T flour or matzo meal (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
grapeseed, olive or peanut oil
lox or smoked salmon
crème fraiche or sour cream
chives or green onion, chopped
chopped lettuce, optional
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 250°F.
Peel potatoes and coarsely grate, directly into a large bowl of cold water.
Soak potatoes 1 to 2 minutes after last batch is added to water, then drain well in a colander.
Spread grated potatoes, garlic and onion on a kitchen towel, roll up and wring out as much liquid as possible.
Transfer potato mixture to a bowl and stir in egg and salt. If it’s too runny add a little flour or matzo meal. Too dry add a little bit more egg.
Heat a large skillet. Add enough oil to cover the bottom plus a bit more. Get the oil hot but not smoking. Use a spoon to potato mixture into skillet, spreading with the back of the spoon into 3 or 4-inch rounds.
Reduce heat to moderate and cook until undersides are very well browned, about 5 minutes. Turn latkes over and cook until undersides are very well browned, about 5 minutes more. You want walnut brown, not beige.
Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt. Add more oil to skillet as needed.
Keep latkes warm on a wire rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven.
To make the Double Down, spread crème fraiche on one side of a latke, pile on lox and onions, spread some crème fraiche on another latke, then make into a sandwich.
Wine suggestion: Seltzer.
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