Check out Pesto Latkes –
Winner of the Multicultural Category – Latke Festival 2000 and 2001
Turns out, every year there is a Latkes Festival in Long Island – hosted by Robert Mummert (pictured below), the festival organizer.The festival has been going on for over 20 years – and they’ve featured latkes influenced by every culinary flavor under the sun. Check out the NPR article here, for more on the festival, and more recipes. In the interim, below is the recipe for participant (and two-time winner) Scott Saunders.
Pesto Latkes
Winning Recipe: Multicultural Category, Latke Festival 2000 and 2001
Winner of the Culinary Engineer’s Golden Dreidel Award
Ingredients:
1 large onion
4 med. shallots
1 bunch of scallions, greens only.
8-10 russet potatoes
Salt and pepper
5 eggs
1/2 – 1 cup white corn meal
1/2 cup pesto sauce
1/2 cup pignoli nuts
1/4 cup grated Romano Locatelli cheese
1) Mix all ingredients well and check that the consistency is a “batter” and not too liquid.
2) Form into small, thick pancakes and squeeze any excess liquid out as you are forming each latke.
3) Fry to a golden brown, not dark brown color.
4) Spoon over a teaspoonful of pesto sauce and top with a few pignoli nuts and grated Romano Locattelli cheese.
Recipe created by Scott Saunders.
