Hanukkah Haystacks (a.k.a. root vegetable fritters)
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer, Side
Cuisine: Modern Jewish, Holiday
Yield: 12 large or 18 small fritters
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ lbs raw root vegetables*, peeled and shredded, yield 5-7 cups**
  • 120 grams (½ cup) coarsely grated onion (use the large grater holes)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 25 grams (¼ cup) sliced green onions, white and light green parts only
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 38 grams (3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon) potato starch
  • 1 ½ teaspoons roughly chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh sage
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon toasted and ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon toasted and ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  • Neutral oil for frying (I like avocado or grapeseed)
  • Applesauce (or other fruit puree) and sour cream, crème fraîche or Greek yogurt for serving
Procedure
  1. Preheat oven to 250°F. Line a sheet pan with paper towels and set aside. Place a metal cooling rack inside another sheet pan and set aside.
  2. Drain the vegetables: Rinse and squeeze dry a piece of cheesecloth and use it to line a large fine-mesh sieve. Combine the shredded vegetables and grated onion (but not the sliced green onions) with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and add the mixture to the cheesecloth-lined colander. Set in the sink to drain for 15-20 minutes.
  3. Twist the cheesecloth closed a tightly as you can around the vegetables. Holding the top closed with one hand, twist or spin the bottom bundle tighter and tighter with your other hand to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Once you’ve twisted it as far as it will go, use your free hand to squeeze the actual bundle - you’ll get even more water out.
  4. Assemble the fritter mixture: Transfer the dried vegetables to a large bowl and add remaining ingredients, mixing with your hands to combine thoroughly.
  5. Heat the oil: Cover the bottom of a large cast iron or stainless skillet with ½ to 1 inch of oil and heat over medium-high until the temperature reaches 375°F. (If you don’t have a thermometer for checking the temperature, you want the oil to be hot enough so a piece of grated vegetable sizzles when you drop it in, but not so hot that the oil begins to smoke or the vegetable turns a dark brown almost immediately.) Either way you’ll probably have to keep adjusting the flame up and down during frying to maintain the proper temperature.
  6. Form and fry the haystacks: If you have red beets in your mixture I recommend wearing disposable gloves for this part. Pick up a wad of about 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture and squeeze it tightly into your palm to compact it, then flatten it so it’s only ¼ to ½ inch thick at most. Carefully transfer it to the oil (you can use a spider or metal spatula to do this if you’re afraid of getting your hand close to the hot oil), and repeat with 2-3 more stacks depending on the size of your pan. Don’t try to do too many at once or the oil temperature will plummet, the stacks will stick together, and you’ll end up with a soggy, greasy vegetable mess. (I leave 2 inches between stacks while frying and usually limit it to 4 at a time since you still need to keep an eye on the ones that are already cooking.)
  7. Cook for 1½ to 2 minutes until golden and crisp on the bottom, then flip and finish cooking on the other side. Transfer cooked haystacks to the towel-lined sheet pan to drain for a minute on each side, season with an additional sprinkle of salt, then transfer to the metal rack you set in another sheet pan. Repeat the process with the remaining vegetable mixture until it’s used up.
  8. Transfer pan of cooked haystacks to oven until ready to serve.
  9. Serve: Arrange haystacks on a serving platter, garnish with minced chives or chopped fresh parsley if desired, and serve with preferred toppings.
Notes
*If using beets, do NOT add them to the cheesecloth mixture. Pat them dry separately with paper towels and add to the mixture when you combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.

**As mentioned in the body of the post, the total volume of your prepped vegetables will depend on which ones - and how much of each - you use. If you start with 1 ½ pounds of vegetables, you should end up with a little over 1 pound after trimming and peeling, and that will yield anywhere from 5-7 cups of shreds before draining and squeezing.
Recipe by Good Health Gourmet at https://goodhealthgourmet.com/root-vegetable-latkes/