Traditional Chanukah latkes get a fun and healthful makeover with shredded Brussels sprouts and beef “facon”. Everything really does taste better with facon!
Tip: You can store peeled potatoes in water in the refrigerator overnight to prepare ahead of time and prevent the potatoes from browning.
Brussels Sprout Latkes
Servings
3 Servings
Instructions
- Shred peeled potatoes with a cheese grater or shred in a food processor. Add the onion to the food processor to mix with the potatoes. Place the shredded potatoes and onion in a bowl and cover in water; soak for 20 minutes.
- Add Brussels sprouts to the food processor and grate.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, cook beef bacon for 4 to 5 minutes, until crispy. Remove pan from heat.
- While beef bacon is cooling, place shredded potato mixture in a cheesecloth and squeeze out any excess water. You want the potatoes to be as dry as possible when you are making latkes. If you don’t have cheesecloth, you can press the potatoes through a mesh sieve to remove the liquid.
- Combine Brussels sprouts, potato, onion mixture, eggs, potato starch or flour, salt, and pepper. Then add cooked beef bacon.
- Place cast iron skillet back on stove over medium heat and add the shmaltz or oil. When pan is hot, make a test batch of the latkes – using a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop up latke mixture and drop carefully into hot pan.
- After the test batch, drop two to three scoops of the latke mixture in the pan and cook 2 minutes on each side, flipping with a spatula, until brown on the outside but still green on the inside. You want to see that color!
- Remove latkes and place on a plate lined with paper towels or wire cooling rack to remove excess oil.
Jack’s Gourmet is making their beef Facon (which is beef bacon- dry cured and smoked beef belly) kosher for pesach and I added it for flavor. If you can’t find the Facon, you can make these without it.
Thanks so much, Lirihm!!!
This sounds very interesting, but what is “Beef Facon”? Was it used for flavoring to give it a bacon flavor?
I wonder what my friends & family might think about this for our Seder vegetable/starch… hmm
Beryl–why? What difference does it make to you? Who are you to tell the world what “should” or “definite should not” be?
I’ve got an idea for you. Give us your contact info. And if ever anybody has a recipe and they want to change an ingredient, they can ask for your input first.
Just because you can post something online doesn’t mean you should.
Pull the stick (root vegetable?) out of your bum and enjoy experimenting.
I love brussel sprouts! i wonder how i can make these latkes and not let my family know that they are made with brussel sprouts! i wonder if they will be able to tell!! of course, i will NOT be including the bacon.
Latkes are great no matter how you prefer them – just with potatoes or with any additives you like. The tradition for the holiday is to eat fried foods. The potato latke is actually relatively new to the tradition – as Israel did not have potatoes until recent history.
As for the bacon/facon thing – I am in total agreement. I refuse to use any sort of facon/baco bits /fake bacon in my house. Why do I need to introduce fake food? We have plenty of delicious food items in our kosher world to risk tempting my children with this fake traif mishegas.
betayavon!
I just had to try this recipe. It was just too interesting to pass up! And I have to say, they were really tasty. While nothing beats my mama’s latkes (but then again, nothing ever does, right?), these are a fun, interesting alternative, that adds extra veggies other than potatoes. Despite the odd looks at the dinner table, there were none left, so I consider them a success! Thanks for the inspiration.
I will try the brussel sprout recipe. Looks good. I may like them mixed with other foods. Thanks!
There are a range of opinions on all matters of kashrut, consult your local Rabbi for guidance.
Sounds yummy, but I thought there is a kashrut problem with using fresh brussel sprouts and we cannot use them.
I think Trader Joes has them but I shred up the fresh sprouts then soak in water.
These sound GREAT! Who cares if they are not traditional? It’s all about creating your own new traditions and these sound delightful!
Thanks for the feedback, although I believe that nothing has to remain basic anymore. Isn’t the whole point of cooking to try new things and break outside the box?!? Trust me, don’t knock it ’til you try it. Brussels sprouts and potatoes are seriously meant to be together and everything tastes better with facon!
That was just rude. I’ve been eating latkes as plain old potato pancakes years before I even knew what a latke was, so I enjoyed seeing the Brussels Sprout Latke recipe. To quote the last part of your comment, “enjoy what you will as accompaniment”, and leave it at that.
I think it sounds great and I plan to make them! 🙂
That has to be one of the most revolting recipes I have ever read. Latkes by their nature are made from root vegetables – potatoes, yams, carrots, beets etc. Just because you can add stuff to a recipe does not mean you should. Meat to Latkes is a definate should not. Bacon, fake or real is a should not. Stick to the basics and enjoy what you will as accompaniment.
Seriously, how do you do Brussels Sprouts? Do you check each one for bugs? They haven’t been available frozen with a hechsher for years, at least not where I live.