Sweet potato latke with date puree

Right after Top Chef, I participated in an event at the Synagogue at 6th & I in Washington, DC. First off 6th & I is one of the coolest synagogues with amazing programs. They invited my mother and I to be guest chefs for an evening of “Latkamania.” My mother and I demonstrated a variety of latkas with different toppings. You can imagine two cooks in a kitchen is way too many for my family, but we had a lot of fun and my mother – of course – even taught me some new things. This recipe is our favorite twist on an old delicious classic – just to switch things up a bit and show the table your chefy-ness.

Latka

• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated 
• 1 onion, peeled and coarsely grated 
• ½ cup all purpose flour 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 tablespoon of crème fraiche 
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 1 pinch of cinnamon 
• salt and pepper to taste 

Date Purée

• 2 pounds seeded and peeled dates
• 1 quart Manischewitz wine
• Peel of an orange 

Spiced  Cream 

• 2 cups Creme Fraiche 
• 1 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 

Directions:

Latka

In a bowl mix everything above. Heat oil in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot, but not smoking.  Working in batches of 4, spoon 1/8 cup potato mixture per latke into oil and flatten to 3-inch diameter with a slotted spatula. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until golden, about 1 ½ minutes on each side. Transfer latkes with spatula to paper towels to drain.

Date Puree

Blanch the seeded dates, then shock in ice water bath. Discard peels. In a sauce pot, add dates and enough Manischewitz to cover with the orange peel. Cook until dates are nice and tender and liquid is somewhat reduced. Add dates to a blender, sparingly adding remaining juice until puréed nice and smooth (applesauce consistency). Discard orange peel. 

Spiced Cream

Whisk until hard peaks form.  Blend in pepper and cinnamon.

Plate latka, spread date purée on top, and garnish with spices crema.