Chef Mik's Potato Latkes

During the 8 day celebration of Chanukah presents notwithstanding, one thing I look forward to the most are potato pancakes known as latkes which are often times served with sour cream and apple sauce. Now these traditional Jewish style latkes not unlike many dishes common to the faith are quite similar to other staples found throughout Europe where there once was a decent sized Jewish population. In fact one that comes to mind are raggmunkar which is the Swedish incarnation unlike latkes which are sometimes also served with a beef roast or brisket but no sour cream of course, raggmunkar are served with salt pork and lingonberries hardly kosher I know but one mans poison is another mans elixer I always say! However I think a closer relative would be the German kartoffelpuffer, also served with apple sauce. Or maybe the Irish boxty potato pancakes served simply with butter and sometimes sugar. Two perhaps more distant relatives would be the classic Swiss style potato rösti however in this version the potatoes are precooked and the onion sautéed unlike the previously mentioned. Then there is the American style hash brown which most likely was influenced by at least one of these other potato pancakes . FoodPerfected offers all of the above naturally as well as pint sized cocktail style mini potato pancake served with crème fraîche, caviar and/or chives. 

Shopping List

Starchy potatoes such as Russet (Burbank, Idaho)

Sweet Vidalia onion

Eggs

Sour cream

Apple sauce, homemade is best but store bought is fine

Potato, arrowroot or corn starch

Baking powder, optional

Salt

White pepper

Chives, optional

My Mad Method 

Ready to eat

Peal, shred and submerge 4 medium starchy potatoes in water for 30 minutes

When ready carefully remove the potatoes allowing the starch that has accumulated at the bottom to remain undisturbed, I use a salad spinner which makes it easier

Carefully drain the water away being careful to reserve the starch

Drain potatoes well, transfer to a mixing bowl, add one onion minced, 2 eggs beaten, reserved potato starch plus 1 TBSP powdered, 1 tsp baking powder (optional), salt and pepper to taste, mix to combine

In a frying pan or iron skillet over medium heat warm a couple TBSP canola oil and 1 TBSP clarified butter to just smoking, add palm sized amount of the potato batter to the pan

After 4 to 5 minutes carefully flip and sauté an additional 4 or 5 minutes or until nicely browned and cooked through

Drain on paper towels and serve

 

 

Chef Mik's Pupusas

I love pupusas, and was first introduced to them in the mid 90’s while I was working at the Bel Air Country Club, at the time I worked directly under the General Manager Charles Bernold, and there was a young lady who worked in the kitchen who made them for the staff from time to time. They come from El Salvadaore and enjoy a long history traces of which have been found dating back over 2000 years. Though they are only recently enjoying the popularity they so richly deserve. 

Pupusas are made out of the same type of corn meal, namely masa de maiz used to prepare corn tortillas. The closest thing I can compare them to would be gorditas or tamales, though like a gordita they are pan-fried on a griddle not steamed. The most common fillings are a type of Salvadorian pulled pork called chicharrón, refried beans and cheese similar to mozzarella or queso fresco called quesillo or a combination of all the above, which is how I am preparing mine today.

Over the years I have worked in a number of places around town where in someone turned out to be known for his or her pupusas, whenever this revelation would come to light I would pay particular attention picking up what I could here and there, asking questions and learned along the way. One thing I noticed is that the styles change as do the methods, for example some people prepare the dough, let it rest then form a little ball, flatten it out add a filling, then cover it with another piece of prepared dough pressing them together. Others make a little ball flatten it out add a filling then fold in the edges and flatten it out again. While still others make a ball with the dough make an indentation with their thumb pushing in the sides while turning it creating a cavity, fill it, seal the hole and flatten it out to a disk which I am doing here today. Some other differences include the use of either black beans or pinto beans. Many people buy ready made fillers while others prepare their own from scratch starting a day or two ahead as the pork takes about 8 hour’s, the beans need to be soaked then cooked then fried and pureed and the cheese is made in stages starting from separating the curds from the whey, straining the cheese curd and adding the right cultures.

Pupusas are almost always served with a cabbage slaw known as "curtido" which is similar to Swedish style pizza salad or Israeli eggless coleslaw or sauerkraut, if you are from the States just think of it as Salvadorian coleslaw. On a side note when I prepare the dressing for my curtido I add an additional 2 TBSP ättiksprit which is a much stronger version of distilled vinegar with a 12% alcohol content. Sometimes they are also served with a thin tomato-chili sauce which is simply made by charring tomatoes and or tomatillos, garlic, and red semi sweet chilies, pureeing them together, then straining off the skin and seeds

Shopping List

Slaw

Cabbage

Carrots

Onions

Scallions

Chili, Serrano or jalapeño

Distilled vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil

Oregano

Salt

Pepper

Pupusas

Masa de maiz, Latin American corn meal

Chicharrón (Salvadorian pulled pork)

Quesillo (Salvadorian cheese) or Mozzarella or quaso fresco

Refried beans

Salt

Canola and/or olive oil

My Mad Method

Ready to eat!!

Shred one head of cabbage and one pealed carrot into a bowl, pour over boiling water and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes (the longer it site the more tender the cabbage will become)

Strain the cabbage and carrot well

Return to blow add one half onion sliced thinly, a few sprigs of scallions sliced on the bias, about 1 tsp oregano, and ½ tsp cumin (optional)

Add dressing which consists of 2.5dl distilled vinegar, 1 dl water, 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, pore over the slaw mix to combine and let stand at least 30 minutes

Meanwhile start the dough by combining 750 ml masa de mazi, about 4 to 500ml water, ½ tsp salt and the juice from one lime (optional)

Create a soft cohesive dough that is pliable and doesn’t crumble or crack easily, allow the dough to rest for 15 to 30 minutes

Prepare filling 1: chicharrón

Prepare filling 2: re-fried bean  

Prepare filling 3: cheese, see above

Break off just enough dough to fit in the palm of your hand, about the size of a golf ball, create an indentation in the center creating a space for filling

Add just enough filling so that it comes just up to the rim but not over it

Fold in the edges of the dough, roll together again in your hand and flatten out careful making sure that it is even on all sides, no cracks or leaks

Over a medium flame heat oil, add the pupusas and pan fry for about 15 minutes or until cooked through turning from time to time. Serve warm

Ready to serve!!

 

 

 

Chef Mik's Pumpkin Cheese Bar

Around the first or second weekend of December together with a good friend of mine here in L.A. we through together a “Glögg” party which we try and tie in several themes including the Mid Winter Solstice, Lucia and Jul, if we have any Jewish partiers we raise a glass and toast to Chanukah, as we do Kwanza and any other Faith or those who celebrate no faith whatsoever. At any rate at this years function I was chatting with a guest who works at a local studio here in L.A. discussing the various services we provide when he asked me if we offered any pumpkin cheese bars, I said sure we can prepare that for you and that was that. However the next day I was sitting at the computer and decided to do some research, now I have made plenty of pumpkin pies and cheese cakes in my time, I’ve even made several pumpkin cheesecakes and I think when I spit out those words so confidently the night before I just assumed it would be a pumpkin cheesecake prepared in a sheet pan. But not one of the recipes I researched reflected that approach; there were several that were very cake like, and others that were more like a cookie. By the time I was done I was aware of only one thing, it was all so very confusing and when things get that way the only thing to do is strip them down to their bare basics and simplify things! So that’s what I’ve done here today, to that end I am not creaming anything together, I’m not working out the recipe in stages I just decided to through everything in the processor and see what happens! Now I am a trained professional and I did have a pretty good idea of how this would turn out but there are the little things like monitoring the consistency so that it wouldn’t become to grainy instead creating a nice sheen, which you do by working in stages nonetheless in the end if taste and time are the most important factors to you then this method is the one you’ve been looking for!

Shopping List 

Pumpkin puree

Cream cheese

Eggs

Baker’s sugar

Unbleached all purpose flour

Vanilla

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Salt

Baking soda

Baking powder, optional

Gram cracker crumbs

Butter, unsalted

My Mad Method

Ready to eat!!

Combine 5dl gram cracker crumbs together with 1dl butter (melted), 1dl sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon and ¼ tsp nutmeg

Spread evenly over the bottom of a quarter sized (22cm by 34cm) sheet pan

Combine 5dl pumpkin puree, 5dl cream cheese, 3 eggs plus 1 extra egg yoke, 2.5dl sugar, 4 TBSP flour, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ baking powder (optional) ¼ tsp salt (optional) together in a food processor

Puree until smooth

 

Pore the batter over gram cracker crumbs and garish if desired (I have done so with sour cream flavored with sugar and cinnamon I thinned it with a little milk).

Bake in a 175c preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean  

Ready to serve!!

 

If you have any batter left you can fill one portion mini pie forms as well if you like!