Sweet Potato Latkes with Horseradish Cream
Half sweet potato and half Yukon Gold, with onion, a pinch of cayenne and egg, fried into orange-flecked latkes and topped with sour cream and horseradish, the American swap.
The sweet potato is an American root, and putting it in a latke is an American move. Food Network's test kitchen mixes it with Yukon Golds and onion, saying it lends an earthy sweetness to the Hanukkah staple. The swap got its biggest moment on November 28, 2013, when Thanksgiving and the first day of Hanukkah fell on the same day, a coincidence nicknamed "Thanksgivukkah"; Wikipedia lists sweet potato latkes among the dishes made for it, and notes that the first day of Hanukkah is not expected to coincide with Thanksgiving again in the foreseeable future. Boston-area resident Dana Gitell trademarked the term (Wikipedia).
🇺🇸 This one is American
Half sweet potato and half Yukon Gold, with onion, a pinch of cayenne and egg, fried into orange-flecked latkes and topped with sour cream and horseradish, the American swap.
🕎 The original
The Eastern European original is grated potato and onion, squeezed dry, bound with egg and a little matzo meal or flour, and fried in oil for Hanukkah. See the Classic Potato Latkes recipe.
Why it works the kitchen science
Half and half
Sweet potato alone has less starch and more sugar, so it browns fast and holds together poorly; the Yukon Golds bring starch to bind and keep the inside creamy.
Sharp on sweet
Horseradish and a pinch of cayenne cut through the sweetness so the latke still eats like a savory side.
Step by step
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 200°F with a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet inside.
- Step 2
Grate the onion on a box grater into a large bowl. Peel and grate both kinds of potato into the same bowl in long strokes for long strands, tossing as you go so the potatoes don't darken.
- Step 3
Wrap the mixture in a clean dish towel and wring out the liquid. Return it to the bowl, toss with the flour, salt and cayenne, then stir in the eggs.
- Step 4
Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium heat to about 350°F.
- Step 5
Scoop 1/4-cup mounds into the oil, leaving space between them, and press each lightly into a 3-inch pancake. Fry about 2 minutes per side, flipping once, until golden.
- Step 6
Move each batch to the rack in the oven while you fry the rest, keeping the oil at about 350°F.
- Step 7
Top each latke with 1/2 tsp sour cream, 1/2 tsp horseradish and a parsley leaf, and serve right away.
Sweet Potato Latkes with Horseradish Cream
Serves 4 · 16 latkes · 45 min total
Latkes
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 large)
- 1 lb sweet potatoes (about 2 medium)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 pinches cayenne
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- Vegetable oil, about 1/4 inch deep in the skillet
Topping
- 8 tsp sour cream
- 8 tsp prepared horseradish (white or beet)
- A few sprigs flat-leaf parsley
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°F with a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet inside.
- Grate the onion on a box grater into a large bowl. Peel and grate both kinds of potato into the same bowl in long strokes for long strands, tossing as you go so the potatoes don't darken.
- Wrap the mixture in a clean dish towel and wring out the liquid. Return it to the bowl, toss with the flour, salt and cayenne, then stir in the eggs.
- Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium heat to about 350°F.
- Scoop 1/4-cup mounds into the oil, leaving space between them, and press each lightly into a 3-inch pancake. Fry about 2 minutes per side, flipping once, until golden.
- Move each batch to the rack in the oven while you fry the rest, keeping the oil at about 350°F.
- Top each latke with 1/2 tsp sour cream, 1/2 tsp horseradish and a parsley leaf, and serve right away.
Adapted from Food Network Kitchen, "Sweet Potato Latkes", doubled from 8 latkes to 16. Food Network fries in about 1/4 inch of oil over medium heat with no temperature given; the 350°F target is ours. Food Network uses light sour cream; regular sour cream is our swap. The 4 servings are ours. Food Network. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (2)
Tips
- Watch the heat: the sugar in sweet potatoes browns faster than plain potatoes, so lower the heat if they darken before 2 minutes.
- Long strokes on the grater make long strands that weave together into a lacy latke.
- For the Thanksgivukkah plate, serve them with cranberry sauce stirred into applesauce.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Sweet potato latkes aren't real latkes. Folklore: a common complaint, but latkes were made from cheese, grains and turnips before potatoes (our Classic Potato Latkes recipe), so the recipe has always changed.
- Thanksgivukkah won't happen again for tens of thousands of years. Disputed in its details: Wikipedia cites a physicist's calculation that a full overlap would not come until 79811, but also lists partial overlaps (Hanukkah's first night on Thanksgiving evening) in 2070 and 2165.
- The term was trademarked by Dana Gitell. Documented (Wikipedia).
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