Latkes for breakfast are one of life’s great joys, and Shannon Sarna had the brilliant idea to take the flavors of a morning everything bagel and turn that into latke form. We collaborated on this recipe for The Nosher, and by the way, her new book Modern Jewish Comfort Food is a must-have!
With these latkes, you get all the same satisfying flavors that you can get at your local bagel shop, but with the added bonus of fried potato. Here, crispy traditional latkes get a boost of flavor with the addition of everything bagel seasoning and fresh garlic, and then are topped with herbaceous lemony cream cheese topping, and a luxurious piece of salmon. These are rich, delicious, and festive. These can be served as a celebratory to start the day, as a passed hors d'oeuvres at a gathering, or even as the main entrée of a Hanukkah meal. Latkes and lox will always be a match made in heaven.
Everything Bagel Latkes
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
For the latkes-
3 lbs potatoes, Yukon Gold or Russet
1 small onion, white or yellow
3 large eggs
3 cloves garlic, minced fine
¾ cup potato starch or all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons everything bagel seasoning
2 tsps kosher salt (1 tsp if your everything Bbagel seasoning includes salt)
For the toppings-
6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives or scallion
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Thinly sliced smoked salmon (about 4-6 oz)
Everything bagel season, as needed for garnish
Directions:
Peel your potatoes, and keep them in a large bowl of cold water until ready to shred them. Peel the onion and cut it in half.
Using the medium-sized whole on a box grater, or the grating attachment on a food processor, shred the onions and potatoes.
Squeeze out excess moisture from the potatoes using a clean kitchen towel, cheesecloth, or paper towels. Add the strained potatoes and onions back to the large bowl.
Add the eggs, garlic, potato starch, everything bagel seasoning, and salt to the large bowl. Mix until well combined.
To fry the latkes, fill a large skillet with a ¼” depth of oil. Prepare a sheet pan with a rack or paper towels on top. Heat the oil on medium-high, until a drop of latke mixture sizzles when added. Add about a ¼ cup of latke mixture to the hot oil, press lightly down to form an evenly-thick circular shape. Fry on each side until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. You may have to lower and raise the heat as needed to keep the oil from getting too hot or cold. Once golden brown on both sides, transfer to your lined baking sheet and sprinkle with a little extra salt.
To make the cream cheese topping: combine the cream cheese, dill, chives, and lemon juice in a small bowl.
To assemble: top each latke with the cream cheese topping, a small piece of smoked salmon, and a sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning.
