CREAMY CRISPY LATKES WITH GARLIC CUMIN SOUR CREAM

Creamy Crispy Latkes with Garlic Cumin Sour Cream image

Provided by Food Network

Time 35m

Yield 16 to 20 latkes

Number Of Ingredients 16

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Ingredients

1 head garlic
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
5 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, finely chopped and cleaned thoroughly
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 eggs
2 cups breadcrumbs
1 cup all-purpose flour
Canola oil, for frying

Steps:

For the garlic cumin sour cream: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the garlic horizontally, drizzle with olive oil and wrap in tin foil. Place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove, cool and mash the cloves into a paste. While the garlic is cooking, get a small saute pan hot over medium-low heat and toast the cumin seeds for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Then either grind up the toasted cumin in a spice grinder or chop with a knife until fine. Mix the sour cream with the toasted cumin, parsley and the roasted garlic. Reserve.
For the latkes: Fill a pot three-quarters of the way up with water and add the potatoes. Bring the water to a boil, and then turn down the heat to a low boil. Boil until the potatoes are completely cooked (a knife slides in very easily), 20 to 30 minutes. While the potatoes are boiling, heat up a pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Saute the leeks with the garlic until soft with no color. Season well with salt and pepper, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for another 3 minutes. Then take off the heat. Once the potatoes are ready, place in a large bowl and mix in the sauteed leek mixture, nutmeg, the remaining 5 tablespoons butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper, and reserve. Whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl or dish and set aside. Add the breadcrumbs and the flour to two separate plates. Season the flour well with salt and pepper. Roll a ball with the potato mixture that easily fits in the palms of your hands, about 2 tablespoons, and flatten slightly to make a patty. You don't want them too thick or too big. Dredge the potato patty with the flour, shaking off the excess. Dunk in the eggs and then coat with the breadcrumbs. Get a large pan hot over medium-high heat, add an inch of canola oil and fry when the temperature reaches 350 degrees F. Remove from oil when the latkes are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot with the garlic cumin sour cream.