Food 2.0: Spinach Latkes

Every year around this time I start hearing buzz in the food world about potato pancakes. Potato pancakes in every incarnation, with sweet potatoes, rutabagas, and every other starchy thing under the sun. This year I decided to participate, but took a different route with spinach. The recipe for the latkes comes from the book Food 2.0, written by the former chef at Google. The pancakes were scrumptious, and defying tradition, I decided to skip the applesauce and indulge in a beautiful fried egg as an accompaniment. All is right with the world.

Spinach Latkes

From Food 2.0 by Charlie Ayers

3 potatoes (preferably russet), about 1 pound in total, peeled

1 cup chopped fresh wilted spinach (or thawed frozen spinach)

1 small white onion, grated

3 tablespoons matzo meal or unbleached all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs, beaten

Vegetable oil or grapeseed oil

Grate the potatoes into a bowl.  Squeeze the potatoes to drain off excess moisture.  Squeeze out the moisture from the spinach.  Drain the onion.  Mix all the vegetables together and stir in the matzo meal or flour, some seasoning, and the eggs.

Pour enough oil into a skillet to coat the bottom and heat over medium heat.  Put three spoonfuls of the mixture in the pan, spaced well apart, and press out to make cakes about 4-inch diameter.  Cook until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.  Keep the latkes warm in a low oven while cooking the remainder.

Serve with a fresh herb salad dressed with vinaigrette.