Gourmet Chef
Sharon Lurie
What’s Chanukka without a latke? And each day can be different. Below is a three-meat option; however, I can think of so many more. How about Chopped viennas/polony/pastrami mixed into your potato mixture? Latkes with avo and shredded BBQ Chicken, a sandwich latke packed with cooked brisket, sauerkraut and pickles and for the greatest breakfast ever, a fried egg on a latke with grilled tomato gently placed on the egg and a mound of crispy macon to top it all.
The latkes in the photograph give you an option of a smash burger, sliced pieces of Thai steak, chicken livers peri peri.
Smash burger for 4 burgers
500g mince
1 large onion, grated
½ tsp onion salt
½ tsp garlic salt
½ tsp pepper
Mix together lightly.
Peri peri livers
250g store-bought kosher peri peri chicken livers are probably the easiest way to go!
Shredded Thai steak
500g shredded be
2 TBLs sesame oil
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup soy sauce
½ tsp ginger spice
½ tsp garlic powder
Pinch of chilli spice (optional)
2 TBLs brown sugar
2 TBLs chopped fresh coriander
Fry the meat in sesame oil and vegetable oil until golden brown. Combine soy sauce, ginger, garlic, chilli, and brown sugar and pour over meat. Finally, add fresh coriander and give it a good stir. Serve on a potato latke.
For those wanting to make their own latkes:
750g potatoes, peeled
1 large onion, grated
1 egg lightly beaten
3 TBLs rice flour (rice flour makes them more crispy) or regular flour
1 TBL salt
1 tsp baking powder
Grate the potatoes and onion on the largest holes of a box grater. (Alternatively, you can use the grating attachment of a food processor.) Place the potato and onion mixture in a kitchen towel or a large piece of cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. In a large mixing bowl, stir to combine the potato and onion mixture with the egg. Sprinkle the flour, salt and baking powder over the potato mixture. Stir it gently to combine well. Meanwhile, fill a large, heavy-bottomed skillet with 1 cm of oil. Heat it over medium-high heat. Working in batches, drop spoonfuls of the latke mixture, between 2 to 3 tablespoons in size, into the hot oil. Press gently with the back of a spoon to flatten their tops slightly. Cook for about 3 minutes until golden brown. Flip the latkes and cook for an additional 1 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Place the latkes on a paper-towel-lined plate or a wire rack set over a small, rimmed sheet tray. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, adjusting the heat as needed. It’s best to peel and grate the potatoes just before making the latkes, as they will oxidise quickly and turn grey or brown! To avoid this, place a tablespoon of vinegar in the water, and after peeling each potato, place it in the vinegar water.
Potato, cauliflower, and leek soup
Whilst on the subject of Latkes, traditionally made with potatoes and onions, let’s create a simply delicious potato soup.
4 leeks chopped (only white and light green sections)
1 onion chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
1kg potatoes, peeled and cubed
400g ready checked cauliflower or cauliflower rice
¼ cup chicken stock powder
1 tsp Celery salt
Salt and pepper to taste
Finally add one cup of coconut cream.
Decorate with croutons
Fry the leeks and onion until transparent, then add the garlic and give it a good stir. Add 2 litres of water, potatoes and cauliflower. When the vegetables are soft, add the stock powder, celery salt, coconut cream, salt and pepper. I prefer using celery salt as I find fresh celery fibrous, even after peeling off the tougher threads, I still find the soup a little hairy, no matter how long I blend it. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes. Blend until smooth and serve with croutons, crispy mince (if you are going the meaty route) and lightly chopped watercress.
Chocolate mousse in crispy chocolate loop cups
This is something your children can have fun making with you. To save time, I bought the chocolate mousse from DJ’s Deli.
300g dark chocolate (Parev)
4 cups of chocolate cereal loops
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Add the cereal to the chocolate and carefully pour and press into a greased (spray and cook) small round glass bowl, ensuring the mixture runs up the glass bowl. You can build the loops up the sides of the bowl in a single layer. Place them immediately in the freezer and when ready to use, loosen them by inserting the small glass bowl in a slightly larger bowl of boiling water – don’t let boiling water touch the chocolate. The heat should only soften the chocolate slightly, just to release it from the bowl. Fill them with chocolate mousse or ice cream.
To make your own chocolate mousse:
500ml non-dairy creamer like Orly whip or Rich’s
1 tsp vanilla essence
350g dark (parev) chocolate
Heat 250ml of non-dairy cream until very hot but not boiling. Meanwhile, break up the pieces of chocolate and pour the hot cream over the chocolate, add vanilla and stir until the chocolate melts completely. Add the other half of the cream into the hot chocolate mixture and whisk well. Check to see if it’s not too bitter. Some dark chocolates are a little more bitter than others. If you feel it is a little bitter, add some icing sugar. Refrigerate overnight until firm.
Dreidel sushi rice latkes and beef mince
1kg ready-made sushi rice (Moishes or Tiberius)
2 eggs
½ cup flour or potato flour to keep it gluten-free – maybe a little more
Beat eggs and add them to the rice. Add flour and chicken stock powder and mix well.
Heat a frying pan with about 1cm deep with oil. Roll into the desired shape, keeping the mixture 1cm thick. You can roll them into balls and flatten them in the pan to get that round “latke look”.
Fry until golden brown on both sides and drain on a wire rack. Top with either Mediterranean or Mexican-style beef mince (recipes given above) and guacamole. These can also be topped with cream cheese and smoked salmon. I used a dreidel cutting shape to get the shape as per the photo. I rolled the mixture on a floured board and cut out the shapes. You can roll them into any shape you desire, but I wouldn’t make them thicker than 1cm.
Chanukkah bowl
Adjust the quantity of ingredients according to the size of your salad.
1 cup ready-made sushi
¼ English cucumber cut Julienne style
Red pepper
Edamame beans
Grated carrot
Mangetout or snow peas
Baby corn
Avocado
Red onion sliced
The protein in this bowl can be either salmon, chicken, cooked beef mince, or shredded beef
Loaded tortilla muffins
These easy to create savoury muffins which are great as a starter or watching the sun go down with a summer cocktail
1 packet mini tortilla soft shells (Pick and Pay) or you can use a regular sized flour tortilla or Laffa, and cut our circles with a glass.
1 large onion, finely chopped or grated
1 tsp crushed fresh garlic
1kg minced meat
1 TBL of your favourite Mexican spice
100g tomato PASTE
½ cup cold water
1 tsp chilli flakes (or your favourite HOT sauce – more if you prefer it spicier)
2 TBLs finely chopped fresh coriander/parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Avocado pear mashed or store bought guacamole (Woolworths)
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the soft tortilla into a lightly oiled muffin tray. Press them gently to take on the shape of the muffin case. Place into the preheated oven and allow to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside. These muffin cups can be made a day or two in advance. Fry the onions until lightly golden. Add garlic and give it a good stir. Add the mince and fry until cooked through. Add tomato paste mixed with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and add chilli flakes, coriander and salt and pepper. Place a tablespoon or two into the pre-prepared muffin cup, add a tsp or two of avocado on top of the mince, followed by a light drizzle of sweet chilli sauce.
Watercress, avocado, and citrus salad
As this is also the health edition, I thought I should include a ‘healthy little something’ before I completely surrender to the deep-fried oily glory of Channukah.
150g watercress – enough to line a flat salad platter.
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 cup orange segments
1 cup grapefruit segments
1 cup mandarin segments
1 large avocado pear – sliced
Crushed sugared nuts (optional)
Salad dressing
¼ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup oil
1 tsp salt
Place watercress onto a flat platter. Place citrus fruits and avocado over the watercress. Finally, add a handful of baby shoots and leaves. Just before serving, drizzle with citrus dressing and sprinkle with crushed sugared nuts.
AREYES
There is a Middle Eastern dish of grilled, braaied or fried pita bread stuffed with minced beef or lamb. But it’s the spices, the onion, the parsley and the cumin that make it a pocket full of crispy, juicy deliciousness. When served with sauces such as tachina, eggplant, and matbucha, they can become a complete meal or a slice of something truly delicious.
500g beef mince
1 onion grated
3 TBLs finely chopped fresh coriander or parsley
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Za’atar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly crushed garlic
A glug of olive oil
Cut your pita in half and evenly spread with a thin layer of the raw mince. You don’t want it too thick, otherwise the mince won’t cook. Fry or braai the Areyes until you can see the mince is cooked through. This mince can also be used to make Moroccan cigars. Take a piece of phyllo pastry and cut it in half. Paint one (½) sheet with oil and place the other half over it. Spread the meat thinly over the bottom half of the pastry, fold the sides of the pastry in and roll the filled pastry up. Paint the cigar with oil and bake at 180°C until golden brown.
