Dirty Martini Latkes
Posted on: December 25, 2024. Updated on: December 26, 2024.
by Carolina Gelen
Table of Contents
These dirty martini latkes come with sliced, chunky olives in them and are served with a dirty martini sour cream, mixed with olive brine and blue cheese for an irresistible flavor. If dirty martinis are up your alley, you’re going to love this recipe.
Frying Tips
- Always keep an eye on the oil and never let it get too hot, to the point where it starts smoking.
- If the oil got too hot, too quickly, an easy way to immediately cool down its temperature is adding more oil to the skillet. This will immediately reduce the temperature of the oil.
- Use a thermometer: Since this recipe uses olive oil, we are aiming to keep the temperature pretty low, around 300°F (150°C) to 340°F (170°C) for the best result.
- Adjust the heat as you are frying: The oil is more likely to burn and reach its smoking point with each batch of latkes you are frying. Reduce the heat as needed, oscillating between medium to medium low heat.
- Let the color of the latkes guide you: Aim for a golden brown color. If the latkes brown too quickly and develop dark brown edges as soon as you start frying them, the oil is too hot. If the latkes are still pale after frying for a while, the oil is not hot enough.
Looking for other Hanukkah recipes? Try:
Dirty Martini Latkes
Servings: 14 latkes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Ingredients
Dirty Martini Latkes
- 4 medium (1.2 kg or 2.6 pounds) Russet potatoes
- 1 medium (200g or 7 oz) yellow onion
- Salt
- 1 heaping cup (200g or 7oz) pimento-stuffed olives, sliced
- 1/2 cup (64g) cornstarch
- 1/3 cup (40g) breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for frying
- Can be substituted with neutral oil, such as grape seed oil, avocado oil, sunflower seed oil, etc.
Dirty Martini Sour Cream
- 1 cup (240g) sour cream
- 1/3 cup (60 g or 2 oz) pimento-stuffed olives, chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive brine
- 2 tablespoons vodka, optional
- 45 g or 1.5 oz blue cheese
- Salt
Instructions
- Prep the potatoes: Thoroughly wash and scrub the potatoes. Using the coarse side of a box grater or the shredder attachment of your food processor, coarsely grate (shred) the potatoes and onion.
- Make the dirty martini latkes: Add the grated potatoes and onion to a bowl. Season with a hefty pinch of salt. Massage the salt the grated potatoes and onion for 1 to 2 minutes. The salt will draw out excess moisture. Place the grated potatoes and onion in the center of a large cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel. Fold the corners of the cheesecloth and wrap around the potatoes and onion. Squeeze as much excess liquid as you can, in the bowl. Discard the liquid and pat dry the bowl.
- Add the potatoes and onion to the bowl. Add the sliced olives, cornstarch, breadcrumbs and toss until evenly coated. Add the eggs and mix until combined. The mixture should stay together when pressed between palms.
- Fry the dirty martini latkes: Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Line with paper towel. Heat a deep 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Fill the skillet with about 1/2-inch (1-cm) of olive oil. Since we are frying in olive oil, we want to keep the temperature lower than usual to prevent the oil from burning. If using a neutral oil, while you could fry at a higher temperature try to stay close to the suggested temperature, to prevent the lemons from burning. Heat for a few minutes, until the oil reaches 340°F (170°C).
- Grab a small handful (about 1/3 cup) of the dirty martini latke mixture. Press it between your palms to roughly form a patty, squeezing any excess liquid out over the latke bowl. Carefully place the latke in the hot oil. Repeat with 3 other latkes. Fry for 6 to 8 minutes on one side, until golden brown. Adjust the heat as needed to prevent the latkes from burning. Carefully flip the latkes using a spatula or two forks and cook for 3 to 5 minutes on the other side, until golden brown.
- Place the fried dirty martini latkes on the paper towel to drain any excess oil, then remove the paper towel and place directly on the cooling rack. Season with salt.
- Make the dirty martini sour cream: Add the sour cream to a small bowl. Add the olives, olive brine, vodka, if using, and blue cheese. Mix until combined. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Serve with the dirty martini latkes.
