Sunday, October 14, 2012

fall and wintry things 1

originally inspired by the Puckster, it's taken on a life of its own and began to merge with my various latke-inspired items, good though and easy...

Crispy Potato-Parsnip-Onion Patty with Cardamom Cream and Herb Drizzle

Cut a few potatoes into shoestrings, salt lightly and place in a bowl
Do the same with some parsnip (blue potatoes, beets, taro root and sweet potatoes also make fine additions)
Add some thin strips of onion and a bit of minced garlic
Curry or chili powder makes also a fine addition
Add a bit more salt and pepper, and minced herbs and Italian parsley to taste
If quite a lot of water forms in the bowl, consider draining it

Fry a few Tbsp. of the mixture in oil (not deep fried, pan-coated is fine), flattening with a spatula, until crispy on bottom, turn and fry the rest of the way. Heat should not be toooo high so it doesn’t wind up both burned and undercooked, although a pretty dark brown is mighty tasty!

Serve with dollops of this cream:
2/3 C. tofu, tofutti, cooked white beans or coconut cream
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 or 2 Tbsp. oil (your choice, walnut or pistachio is pretty good)
Salt and white pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. grated onion
1 garlic clove
½ tsp. ground cardamom
A pinch or two of cumin

Blended or whipped together, other spices or chives can be added , or chutney which is pretty badass.

And this green sauce:
¼ C. chopped herbs
Salt and green curry paste to taste
2 Tbsp. lemon of lime juice
A little bit of oil
Water or other amusing liquid to achieve a saucy texture

Puree all that or simply mix it, adjust seasonings to taste and drizzle all about the premises

Garnish with a basil or sage leaf or something interesting.

Basically it’s a latke (might post some new ones soon, I love those things!). If you do use pistachio oil in the cream, consider garnishing the affair with roasted shelled pistachios and adding pistachio crumbs to the mix of potatoes.

No comments: