Crab Latkes

[kirra]

Crab Latkes
Tom Douglas

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs. large Yukon gold or russet potatoes, peeled
1 small onion, peeled (about 6 oz.)
3/4 lb. crab meat, drained, picked clean of shell, and lightly squeezed if wet
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 T. plus 2 t. dried bread crumbs
1-1/2 t. kosher salt
3/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
peanut or canola oil for frying
Lemon Dill Cream, recipe follows

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Grate potatoes and onion using a box grater or the medium grating blade of a food processor. Lay a large piece of cheesecloth or a clean dish cloth in a large bowl and pour in the potato-onion mixture. Gather up the edges of the cloth, forcing the grated vegetables into a tight bundle, and wring out as much liquid as you can, discarding the liquid.

Shake the potato onion mixture into a large bowl. Stir in crab meat, eggs, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper, mixing well. Using a 1/2-cup measuring cup, scoop up a portion of the batter and pat it between your hands into a pancake shape, 1/2-inch thick and 3 to 4 inches wide. Continue until all the latkes are shaped, placing them on a plate.

Place two large nonstick or cast iron skillets over medium-high heat and pour in enough oil to coat the bottoms of the pans (about 1/8 inch oil). When pans are hot, start adding as many latkes as will comfortably fit into each pan. (To protect your hands from the hot oil, you can slip the latkes into the pan using a large spoon.) Fry until golden, turning with a spatula to brown both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Turn the heat down to medium as needed so the latkes don’t burn before they’ve cooked through.

Transfer the latkes to a paper towel–lined baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven as you continue to fry any remaining latkes, wiping out any burned bits of debris from the pan and adding more oil as needed. You should get about 10 latkes (4 servings).

When all the latkes are fried, transfer them to plates and serve with the Lemon Dill Cream.




Lemon Dill Cream

Ingredients:

1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. fresh dill, finely chopped
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. grated lemon zest
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Combine sour cream, dill, and lemon juice and zest in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Makes about 1-1/4 cups.