Name: Latke Nachos
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 2 medium + 3 small russet potatoes; Grated Monterey Jack cheese (to taste); 2 small onions (grated); 1 green jalepeno (finely minced); 2 eggs (lightly beaten); 1/4 cup all purpose flour; 1/2 tsp cumin; 2 tsp salt; Canola oil (enough to fill a large skillet to about 1/4 inch); 1 15.5 oz can black beans (add a sautéed garlic clove or two for extra flavor if you wish!)

Latke Nachos

A unique combination of jalapeño and cumin gives these Latke Nachos an extra Southwestern flair. They are delicious once you tackle the technique; soaking them in a cold water bath helps pull starch from the vegetables and adds extra binding power.

Note: As I was making these, the latke mixture did develop liquid at the bottom of the bowl…it’s important to not to use this additional liquid, since you just want to fry the potatoes mixture, not including the liquid at the bottom of the bowl 🙂

Latke Nachos

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 15

Total Time 1 15

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Servings

Ingredients

2 medium + 3 small russet potatoes
Grated Monterey Jack cheese to taste
2 small onions grated
1 green jalepeno finely minced
2 eggs lightly beaten
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp salt
Canola oil enough to fill a large skillet to about 1/4 inch
1 15.5 oz can black beans (add a sautéed garlic clove or two for extra flavor if you wish!)

Instructions

Fill a large bowl with ice water. Make sure there is enough ice so the water will remain cold for about 30 minutes.
Transfer the grated potatoes to the ice water bath, and let sit for about 30 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the cold water. Gather them into a large dish towel, and wring out all of the water you can into the water bowl.
Now, put potatoes into a colander lined with paper towels. Wring them once more, using the paper towels, then transfer to a large bowl. Repeat this process until all of the potatoes are done. Let the water stand for 20 more minutes.
Add additional paper towels to the colander, and top with grated onions. Using the paper towels, wring as much moisture out of them as you can.
Strain the water out of the ice water bowl, and using a spoon, gently scoop the white layer of starch from the bottom of the bowl. Add the starch to the potatoes in a large bowl.
Stir together the potatoes, starch, onions, jalepeno, eggs, flour, cumin, and salt. If the mixture is still a bit watery, feel free to add a bit more flour.
Pour oil into a cast iron skillet and heat over medium until the oil is shimmering (and a dash of potato in the pan sizzles).
Drop the latke mixture, about 1/2 tablespoon each, into the oil. Flatten with a slotted spoon, and fry, until the latke is golden and crispy on both sides (about 2-3 minutes total). Watch your latkes closely because a bit too long in the oil and they will burn! Remove any burnt particles from your oil, and replenish the oil as necessary.
Transfer latkes to a paper-towel lined plate. You can also keep them warm in the oven if you choose (about 250-300°F should suffice.)
Drain the can of black beans, and pour into a small sauce pan to warm.
Once the beans are heated through, place latkes on a plate, top with beans, cheese, Sabra guacamole, and Sabra salsa. Enjoy!