Latkes, Fritters, Cakes…Whatever, Just Make 'Em!

No matter what you call them, you can count on Jim Dixon of Real Good Food to be on top of the fried goodness of the season!

I made these recently and wanted to get you the recipe before Chanuka starts on Saturday!

Smoky Sweet Potato & Beet Latkes

Mine were roughly 2 parts sweet potato, 1 part beet, but don’t worry too much about exact measurements. I also peeled the beets, but not the sweet potatoes. And while the orange-fleshed roots are often labeled as yams, they’re really sweet potatoes. You could use the white-fleshed version, but I think the orange ones are sweeter. Golden beets, similar to the pinkish Chioggia beets, are also sweeter; unlike the earthier-tasting red beets, they don’t stain everything in the kitchen.

Make these just like potato latkes (grate the roots, combine with egg and flour, add salt, fry in extra virgin olive oil). Add a teaspoon or more of pimenton, the smoky Spanish paprika. Use a lower cooking temperature, too. The extra sugars in both the sweet potatoes and beets caramelize more quickly and they’ll burn if you’re not careful.

For more details on all things latke, at least from the Real Good Food perspective, start at Secular Latkes. Or go right the basic latke recipe (you can skip the squeezing step with sweet potatoes).