Potato Parsnip Latkes

There's no one way to serve latkes. Some people like them as a first course or as an hors d'oeuvre, while others make them as a side dish. We think this Hanukkah specialty is so delicious, we'd gladly serve latkes as a main course.

Ingredients
1 large russet (baking) potato (8 to 10 oz)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 medium parsnips (1 lb total), peeled and coarsely grated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup vegetable oil
Accompaniment: applesauce and/or sour cream
Directions
Special equipment: a thin (fine-weave) kitchen towel 

Directions
Preheat oven to 250*F.
Peel potato and coarsely grate into a bowl. Add lemon juice and toss to combine. Place potato on towel, then gather up corners to form a sack and twist tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Stir potato together with parsnips, flour, eggs, chives, salt, and pepper until combined well.

Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Fill a 1/4-cup measure three-fourths full with latke mixture and carefully spoon it into skillet, then flatten to 3 inches in diameter with a slotted spatula. Form 3 more latkes in skillet, then cook until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Transfer latkes with spatula to paper towels to drain. Keep warm on a rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven. Make more latkes in same manner, in batches of 4, with remaining mixture.  Makes about 16 latkes.


Source:  Gourmet,  
Photo: Romulo Yanes