Potato Latkes with Lemon & Dill Crème Fraiche

Here’s another from my Dad’s stable of staples.  We actually called them potato pancakes at home; latkes is an affectation I developed later in life.  (It also made for a better sounding title).

Dad made the pancakes, but everyone dressed their own.  A Sunday breakfast of potato pancakes left the kitchen counter littered with condiments: applesauce for Mom (evidence of her Danish heritage), 2 eggs on the side for Dad (he always had 2 eggs on Sunday morning), sour cream for one brother, maple syrup for the other.  I tried all the options, but eventually settled on simple salt+pepper.

No matter who was eating them, they always came with bacon.

 

Today, I’m serving them with a little crème fraiche spiked with preserved Meyer lemon and fresh dill.  My garnish is some (leftover) homemade cured salmon, or gravlax.  Sometimes strange sounding French/Scandinavian fusion ideas work.  This is one of those times.

Creme fraiche is available in most urban supermarkets, but not at our little island‘s grocery store.  It’s easy to make at home, and it’s slight tang and thick texture compliment a number of flavours.

Potato Latkes with Lemon-Dill Creme Fraiche

Yield:  (6) 4-5” pancakes (2-3 servings)

Crème Fraiche	½  C	125 ml
Lemon Zest	1 t	5 ml
Lemon Juice	1 t	5 ml
Fresh Dill, chopped fine	1-2 t	5-10 ml
Russet Potatoes, peeled	1 lb	500 g
Onion, peeled	2 oz	50 g
Egg, lightly beaten	1
AP Flour	2 T	30 ml
Bacon Strips, cut in half	3
s+p	TT

lb=pound        oz=ounces            g=grams          C=Cup
T=Tablespoon       t=teaspoon        ml=millilitres        TT=to taste

Combine the crème fraiche, lemon zest, juice, dill and s+p to taste.  Set aside.

Grate the potato and onion into a medium bowl.  Add the egg and flour; mix well.  Season with s+p.

Fry 3 halves of the bacon in large, preheated frying pan.  When you flip the bacon over, top each slice with approx ¼ cup of the potato mixture.  Spread the mixture into circles about 4-5” in diameter and cook, untouched, until the bottoms is golden brown.  Flip and brown the other side.  Keep the 1^st batch warm while you fry the remaining 3 pancakes.

Serve hot, 2 or 3 pancakes per plate, with a dollop of crème fraiche on top.

Tips:

• I used a preserved Meyer lemon from the batch I made a few weeks back.  I rinsed it well, finely minced the peel, and squeezed the flesh for its juice.  No additional salt was needed.
• The potato will brown soon after it is peeled and grated.  Work quickly.
• Substitute sour cream or yoghurt  for the crème fraiche if desired.
• Howard puts ketchup on his potato pancakes.  “What?” he says.  “They’re round hashbrowns!”