Recipe: Latkes with Applesauce & Creme Fraiche

Ingredients for the Applesauce:

3 Golden Delicious apples
1 McIntosh apple
The juice of 1 lemon
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 sprig of fresh thyme
Water

Peel the apples, and slice them very thinly.  Place in a pot with the cinnamon and thyme, add the lemon juice, and fill it so the fruit is covered about 2/3rds of the way in water.  Bring to a simmer, and cook covered for about an hour.  Be sure to keep checking every few moments and adding water as needed - the water shouldn't be allowed to evaporate until it's finished.  Once done, remove the cinnamon stick and thyme, then stir the apples carefully to leave them slightly chunky.

Ingredients for the Latkes:

4 large russet potatoes
1 large yellow onion
1/4 cup of flour
2 egg whites
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil

Peel the potatoes and onion, then grate them on a box grater.  Once grated, wrap them in a cheesecloth and place in a strainer over the sink.  Press down on the cheesecloth wrapped vegetables, pushing out as much moisture as possible.

Put the grated vegetables in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and mix in the flour and egg whites.  Form into 4 inch pancakes, heat about half the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and cook as many as will fit in the pan, about 4 minutes on each side.  Keep frying until you go through all of the pancake mix, adding more oil to the pan as needed.  Drain the latkes on paper towels.  They should be served immediately, or can be kept in a warm (200 degree) oven for a few minutes until ready to serve.

Once ready, top the latkes with the applesauce and creme fraiche.

Serves 4-6, depending if as a main course or side.