Crisp, savoury and satiating latkes are my idea of the perfect brunch and, rather than sticking to potatoes, I often make them with a mixture of root vegetables, using up whatever I have to hand – just 25-50g of any vegetable will make a latke – and adding some ground linseeds or flax, which gives breakfast some nutrition-boosting omega-3s. I usually have them with a poached egg for protein or apple compote and soya yoghurt.
Root vegetable and linseed latkes
This is a great way to use up any tired root vegetables lurking in the crisper drawer, and a recipe I come back to again and again. Latkes are a traditional Jewish potato cake that work really well made with other root vegetables as well. If I have a few different coloured vegetables, I will grate and mix the vegetables separately to make multicoloured latkes, but it’s much simpler to mix them all together.
I used carrot leaves to decorate this dish. They’re beautiful but bitter, so use sparingly. Herbs are optional, of course, but if you want to add some colour, fresh flat-leaf parsley or coriander will freshen it up no end, too. And sauerkraut, which I made for last week’s column, is another wonderful traditional accompaniment to latkes, not least because its sour twang cuts through the rich fried flavour of the veg cakes.
Serves 2
150g mixed root vegetables, grated (eg, beetroot, celeriac, turnip, etc)
1 onion, peeled and grated
Sea salt
1 tbsp flour (wholegrain or plain), or 2 tbsp fine breadcrumbs
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard (optional)
2 tbsp ground linseeds
1 tsp baking powder
Extra-virgin olive oil, for frying
To serve (all optional)
Carrot leaves, or parsley leaves
Sauerkraut
Poached eggs
Apple compote and yoghurt
Combine the grated root vegetables and onion in a bowl with a good couple of pinches of sea salt and leave to sit for five minutes to draw out some of the excess moisture from the vegetables and ensure a nice, crisp end result. Pick up handfuls of the veg mixture, squeeze out all the excess liquid from each one as you go (save the liquid, because, mixed with extra-virgin olive oil, it makes a fabulous dressing), then put the squeezed vegetables in a clean bowl. Add the flour or breadcrumbs, optional mustard, linseed and baking powder, and mix well to combine.
Put a little olive oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Divide the vegetable mixture into four balls, lay them in the pan, then flatten the latkes slightly with a spatula and leave them well alone for three to five minutes, until they are golden on the underside. Carefully flip them over and cook for a few more minutes, until golden brown on the other side. Serve hot with your chosen toppings, or save and reheat later in the oven.
