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Latkes with Gravlax

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Michael Solomonov, chef and co-owner of Zahav in Philadelphia, shares his tricks for making crisp and delicious latkes: Use pure potatoes because they have more than enough starch to bind the latkes without adding egg or flour, which makes them less crispy and more dense. Potatoes need a lot of salt; be sure to taste your mixture or fry off a small test latke so you don’t end up with a bland batch. Because starchy things like to stick to the pan, let the latkes cook undisturbed for a few minutes and the crust will set up and release on its own.

Pairing cured salmon with latkes is almost a cliché, says the chef, but for good reason. Gravlax is elegant and super simple to make. The hardest part is slicing it into thin ribbons. To make slicing easier, he recommends that you freeze the gravlax for 15 minutes, then hold a long, sharp knife at a very shallow angle to the surface of the gravlax and draw the knife through it from heel to tip. Placing the flat open palm of your other hand on the surface of the fish will ensure a thin, even slice.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 to 8

Ingredients

For the gravlax:

  • 1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) kosher salt
  • 2 Tbs. brown sugar
  • 1 cup (1 1/2 oz./45 g) chopped fresh dill
  • 1 lb. (500 g) center-cut salmon fillet, skin and pin bones removed

For the latkes:

  • 2 russet potatoes, peeled and shredded (about 3 1/2 cups/17 1/2 oz./545 g)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • Canola oil for frying
  • Sour cream for serving
  • Minced fresh chives for serving

Directions

To make the gravlax, in a small bowl, stir together the salt, brown sugar and dill. Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap in a baking dish and sprinkle half of the salt-sugar mixture down the center. Put the salmon on top of the mixture and cover with the rest of the salt-sugar mixture. Wrap the salmon tightly in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for 48 hours to cure, turning the fish over a few times. Rinse the excess salt-sugar mixture off the salmon and thinly slice to serve. Refrigerated, gravlax will keep for up to 1 week.

To make the latkes, in a bowl, toss the potatoes with the salt and wring them out in a clean kitchen towel to remove excess water. Pour 1/4 inch (6 mm) oil in a large fry pan. Spoon the potatoes into the cold oil in the pan in a single layer and flatten with the back of a spatula. Turn the heat to medium and cook the latke undisturbed until a deep golden crust forms on the bottom, about 15 minutes, pressing occasionally with the spatula. Flip the latke onto a plate and add more oil to the pan. Slide the latke back into the hot pan, uncooked side down. Cook on the second side until deep golden brown, about 8 minutes more.

Cut the latke into wedges. Top with gravlax slices, sour cream and chives and serve. Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Michael Solomonov, Zahav, Philadelphia

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