Celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah this year with a bountiful latke charcuterie board! These fried potato pancakes symbolize the oil that burned for eight days in the holy Jewish Temple centuries ago, a whopping seven days longer than expected. Latkes, in all their crispy golden goodness, go with almost anything, making them the perfect foundation for this charcuterie-style board.
Peruse the long list of ingredients below and choose as many as you like to customize your board. For the sake of tradition, I always recommend including applesauce and sour cream.
ingredients
Latkes
Charcuterie board options
directions
Fill a large bowl with cold water and set aside. Then, peel potatoes and shred them using the large holes of a box grater or a food processor fitted with a shredding disc. Grate the onion and set aside.
Add the shredded potato to the cold water, allow to soak for 5 minutes and then drain.
Lay out a cheesecloth (or tea towel) and add the potatoes and onion to the middle. Bring the corners of the cloth together and twist to remove as much water as possible.
Add the potato-onion mixture to a large bowl along with the remaining latke ingredients and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or your hands.
Line a large baking sheet with two layers of paper towel and set aside. Preheat the oven to 200°F.
Set a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add enough canola oil to liberally cover the bottom. You can test that the oil is hot enough by adding a potato shred to the skillet. If it starts bubbling immediately, you are ready to start frying.
Working in batches of 5, drop a scant ¼ cup of batter into the hot oil and use the back of the measuring cup to shape the latke into a 3-inch circle. Cook the latkes for 3-4 minutes on each side until deeply golden and crispy. Transfer to the paper towel-lined lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt to taste.
Remove the paper towel from the baking sheet and place the latkes in the oven to keep warm as you prepare the other charcuterie board components.
Slice your chosen fruit and vegetables. If using apples, toss slices with some lemon juice to prevent browning. Fill small bowls with your dips of choice (applesauce, hummus, sour cream and/or honey). If using sour cream, top with chopped chives or scallions.
On a large platter, start building your board by placing the bowls and then lay out the warmed latkes, overlapping them slightly so they fan out. Fill any gaps with your remaining ingredients and serve immediately.
