Beet Latkes Stuffed with Goat Cheese

Oh, latkes...glorious latkes...

Yes, it's that time of year again, and I can't wait for you to try this fabulous new recipe I've come up with: Beet latkes stuffed with goat cheese!

Why latkes? After winning the war against the Syrians, the Maccabees returned to Jerusalem to liberate it. They entered the Temple and cleared it of the idols placed there by the Syrian vandals. Since the Temple's golden Menorah had been stolen by the Syrians, the Maccabees now made one of cheaper metal. When they wanted to light it, they found only a small cruse of pure olive oil bearing the seal of the High Priest Yochanan. It was sufficient to light the Menorah only for one day, but by a miracle of G‑d, it continued to burn for eight days, till new oil was made available, which is why we celebrate Chanukah for eight days. Because of the miracle of oil, it's traditional to eat fried foods such as latkes and sufganiyot (doughnuts).

Beets and goat cheese are a classic pairing, most typically found in salads, but I've given them a new spin in this latke recipe, and let me tell you—they are INCREDIBLE.

You'll want to freeze the goats cheese slightly so that it doesn't ooze out while frying, so that's our first step. Slice the goats cheese thinly and put it in the freezer.

Now, peel and shred the beets. You can use a food processor or a manual grater. Also shred the onion and mix it with the beets. NOTE: Some food processors get stuck when you try to grate onion, so feel free to dice the onion very finely instead. I've done it both ways. In the pictures you can see the pieces of onion because I diced them.

Mix the beets, onion, egg, flour and salt. Do not worry if the batter seems dry compared to a potato latke batter—that's the way it should be.

Now you're ready to fry and assemble the latkes. Adding a piece of carrot to the oil any time you’re frying helps absorb the burnt taste. When the carrot starts to look shriveled, remove it and put in a fresh piece. It works. Trust me. I take my frying carrots very seriously.

So Put a little oil in the frying pan and turn the fire up to medium-high (for example, if your dial gives options from 1-10, you'll want it on about 7). If the fire is too low your latkes will come out soft and a little mushy rather than nice and crisp.

Use a spoon, or a small measuring cup (1/8 cup) to scoop up the batter. Gently place a spoon of batter in the pan and flatten it.

Place a piece of goat cheese on top of the batter.

And now cover the goat cheese with another scoop of batter.

Fry for 3-4 minutes, then gently flip the latkes and fry for another 1-2 minutes on the second side. When ready, the latkes will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, with the goat cheese deliciously melted.

If you're looking for a non-dairy option, make these without the cheese. I fried some of the beet mixture plain and it was also a big success.

Latkes are always best served right out of the pan, but can also be refrigerated and reheated later. The best way to reheat is by doing a quick shallow fry with very little oil in the frying pan, or you can spread them out on a cookie sheet and reheat in the oven.

Then again, reheating assumes you have any left, which I have yet to experience with these decadent beauties.

Ingredients

Directions

Yields: 12 latkes.

Are you a potato traditionalist or you do you enjoy trying new latke combinations? What will you be cooking for Chanukah?