POTATO LATKES WITH RUSTIC ORANGE HONEY APPLESAUCE

 Crisp and golden, these tasty potato pancakes are rooted in holiday European culture 

Recipe by: Gabrielle

SERVES: 6

PREP TIME: Applesauce 20 minutes, Latkes 10 minutes COOK TIME: Applesauce 20 minutes, Latkes 40 minutes REST TIME: Latkes 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: Applesauce 40 minutes, Latkes 1 hour 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Orange Honey Applesauce: Yield 3½ cups (½ cup per serving)

• 6 medium tart apples, such as Granny Smith, McIntosh, Cortland
• ⅓ cup water, apple juice, or apple cider
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¾ tsp. GC Napa Valley Natural Orange Finishing Sea Salt
• 4 Tbsp. GC Napa Valley Natural Orange Infused Honey

Potato Latkes: Yield 20 (3” round latkes)

• 1-1¼ lbs. russet potatoes, medium size, cleaned
• 2 Tbsp. GC Napa Valley Natural Buttery Proprietary Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ½ cup yellow onion, minced
• ½ cup celery, peeled, minced
• 1 tsp. GC Napa Valley Natural Culinary Lavender Tellicherry Pepper
• 2½ tsp. + more as needed, GC Napa Valley Natural Tuscan Rosemary Finishing Sea Salt
• ⅓ cup heavy cream
• 1 large egg, beaten
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour or matzo meal
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• Canola oil, as needed

TO PREPARE

Prepare Rustic Orange Honey Applesauce:

1. Peel, core, cut apples into ½-1” pieces, and put in a large sauté pan with the next 4 ingredients. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium, cook 6-7 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove lid, simmer 3-5 minutes to evaporate excess water and to thicken. Use a potato masher to roughly mash the apples. Add more Orange Infused Honey if a sweeter sauce is preferred. Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled. Applesauce can be made a day in advance.

Cook Potatoes:

1. Put unpeeled potatoes in a pot with tepid water 1” above potatoes. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Partially cook potatoes (a knife can be just inserted), about 15 minutes. Put potatoes in a cold-water bath for 30 minutes. Prepare Potato Latke Mixture: Heat 2 Tbsp. Buttery Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery and cook until fork tender. Put the mixture in a large mixing bowl. Add Lavender Tellicherry Pepper, 2½ tsp. Rosemary Finishing Sea Salt, cream, egg, and stir. Dry the cooled potatoes, peel, coarsely grate, add to the bowl and gently fold in. Mix the flour and baking powder together; gently fold in. Preheat oven to 225 degrees with a wire rack inserted in a sheet pan.

Fry Potato Latkes

1. In batches of 4 or 5, not to overcrowd the pan. In a medium-large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add ¼” canola oil. For each latke, carefully drop into the hot oil 2 Tbsp. potato mixture in a mound and slightly flatten to disc shape. Fry 2-3 minutes or until edges and underside are golden brown and crisp. Flip, slightly press latke and cook until golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Place latkes on paper towels; immediately sprinkle lightly with Rosemary Finishing Sea Salt. Place latkes on the preheated wire rack/sheet pan and keep warm in the oven while the remaining latkes are fried.

TO SERVE