Russian “Latkes” – Smoked White Sturgeon and Potato Cakes with Horseradish Sour Cream
Sasha Shor
1 hour
Makes 14 Latkes
Russian “Latkes” – Smoked White Sturgeon and Potato Cakes with Horseradish Sour Cream.
Russian “Latkes” – Smoked White Sturgeon and Potato Cakes with Horseradish Sour Cream.
New York City-based chef Sasha Shor balances potato cubes with chunks of smoked white sturgeon in this recipe for decadent “Russian Latkes.” Top them with pungent horseradish cream and, if you’re feeling fancy, a dollop of caviar.
2 lbs. yukon gold potatoes (approx. 5 large potatoes), peeled and cut into 2” inch cubes
1 ½ cups (12 oz.) smoked white sturgeon, flaked into large 1-2” chunks (can also use any flaky firm smoked fish such as smoked whitefish, cod, trout or salmon)
½ cup scallions, green & white parts, finely sliced
3 tablespoons fresh dill, roughly chopped
1 ½ tablespoons capers, roughly chopped (reserve a teaspoon of the brine for the sauce)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Juice & zest of ½ lemon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons all purpose flour + more for dusting
Schmaltz and vegetable oil for frying
For the horseradish sour cream:
16 oz. full fat sour cream
2 tablespoons grated prepared horseradish (white)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Juice & zest of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon caper brine
Preparation
Make the Sauce: In a medium sized bowl, mix the sour cream, horseradish, mayonnaise, lemon juice and zest, and caper brine until well combined. Season with salt and white pepper (black pepper is fine if you don’t have white).
Cover the sour cream mixture tightly and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to a few hours to allow for the flavors to marry. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.
Prepare a wire cooling rack set over a paper-towel lined sheet pan, and a second sheet pan to place formed cakes. Set aside.
Make the Latkes: In a large bowl, mix together the cooled potato chunks, smoked fish, scallions, dill, capers, mayonnaise, lemon juice & zest and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Mix gently so as to not break up the potato too much. After it’s mixed, sprinkle the flour on top and give it one more mix to incorporate all of the flour.
Using a ⅓ cup measure, scoop out the mixture and with lightly oiled hands, form into uniform balls, resembling large meatballs. Place the formed balls on a sheet pan and transfer to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up. You can make these a few hours in advance and keep chilled until ready to fry.
Once the patties have chilled, heat schmaltz and vegetable oil (50-50 mix) in a large frying pan (cast iron or nonstick work best) to medium high heat. Oil should fill the pan to 3/4” in depth. Dust the potato balls lightly with flour on all sides, and add them to the pan with at least 1-2” between them. After a minute, flatten the balls down into a cake with your hand or a flat spatula so they are about 1 ½” high. (It’s ok if the edges separate a little and become uneven when you flatten them. They will fry up with crispier edges and surfaces!). Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking for 3-4 more minutes until golden brown and crispy. Flip gently and continue cooking on other side for another 4-5 minutes. The cakes should have an all-over golden brown, crispy exterior. After cooking, transfer to a wire cooling rack over the lined sheet pan to cool for a few minutes.
Serve immediately with horseradish sour cream and some freshly chopped dill and/or parsley. If you’re feeling festive, a dollop of caviar always makes everything better!
If you are cooking these in batches, they can be kept warm in a 250°F oven until ready to serve. Do not keep in the oven for longer than 20-30 minutes or they can dry out.
