PeoplesFood

Passport & Plate - Getting to the heart of it

Israel | Friday, March 14, 2014 | 4 photos

Ingredients
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Levivot (Israeli Potato Pancakes)

Ingredients:
• 2 medium-large Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 1 small Sweet Potato
• 1 small Garnet Yam
• 2 Carrots
• 1 small Parsnip
• 3-5 cloves of Garlic (depending on size, and to taste)
• 2 small-medium White Onions
• 1 large bunch of Italian Parsley
• 1 Leek (Using only the bottom portion of the leek)
• 4 large Eggs
• 2 cups of All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• ¼ tsp Pepper
• ½ tsp Paprika
• ¼ tsp Cumin
• 8 oz Rendered duck fat/schmaltz (Duck fat is preferred for its unique flavor, but you can substitute vegetable oil if unavailable.)
• Sour Cream (garnish)
• Applesauce (garnish)

 

How to prepare this recipe
1. Using the large side of your grater, grate carrots, parsnip, yam, and sweet potato together into a large mixing bowl. (There shouldn’t be pooled/excess water)
2. Grate Yukon Gold Potatoes into a strainer and rinse to remove some of the starch. Squeeze out the water, using a towel or cheesecloth, until dry. Then mix into bowl with other vegetables.
3. Chop onions. Add to bowl.
4. Mince garlic. Add to bowl.
5. Finely chop leek. Add to bowl.
6. Set some sprigs of parsley aside for garnish. Chop the rest of the parsley roughly. Add to bowl.
7. Add spices. (salt, pepper, paprika, cumin) to bowl.
8. Thoroughly mix contents of bowl.
9. Make a shallow dent in center of mixture, add half the flour and eggs into dent. Mix flour and eggs together, then mix with vegetables and spices. Check consistency, will always vary slightly depending on moisture and variation in vegetables.
10. Repeat step 9 with 2nd half of eggs and flour. Consistency of batter should be wet and sticky, but still easy to form patties from.
a. To reach this consistency, add more eggs or flour as needed.
11. Heat rendered duck fat in sauté pan, over medium-high heat.
a. Test readiness of fat by dropping a small piece into pan. It should sizzle.
12. Create patties one at a time, dropping them into the oil immediately.
a. The patties should be nearly submerged. (You can fry with less oil if desired, but result will differ slightly from traditional style levivot. Levivot is a Hanukkah dish, frying in oil is customary in commemoration of the festival of light.)
13. Fry on medium-high approximately 4 minutes (2 mins. to a side) until golden brown and cooked through.
14. Remove and drain on paper towels.
15. Serve with dollops of sour cream and/or applesauce. Garnish with parsley. ENJOY!

 

The story behind this recipe
My companions and I were seated together on the grass as the last rays of light were fading on a Hanukkah eve. I can still hear the strangely familiar murmur of Hebrew drifting past my ears and the smell of comfort crackling in the pan, its tantalizing scent wafting through the crisp, open air. Most of all, I can recall the feeling of kinship and shared consciousness that abounded within my being.
We were cooking outdoors as backpackers often do, but this makeshift campground felt more like home to me than any fully-equipped kitchen ever had. I live to connect with others, this is my passion. In this case levivot, a tasty, indulgent Israeli comfort food, was my passport. Every time I absorb a new cuisine it opens a window into another world. We had different backgrounds, different cultural rules, but the sharing of food was a place we could meet and appreciate each other more simply. I have found that in any culture, food serves as a gateway to a sanctuary in which communication and cooperation that can be taboo outside the kitchen become second nature. These people, now my family, and the story of their food and customs we shared with each other resonates for me every time I recreate this recipe. It is a ritual in itself. I carry the love that was shared with me and impart it to others Food is a history, telling tales in taste and scent in a way words can never quite convey. This dish nourished me, body, mind, and soul. The physical need for sustenance creates a natural gathering-point for our hunger for spiritual and social nourishment. The people we share our food with become a community, satisfying these needs. Through this simple dish our disparate cultural identities became accessible to one another. We were all worlds away from home that night, and yet were transported to a place I like to think of as the heart of it. Interestingly, levav the root of levivot means heart. Home is where the heart is, and often the best way to the heart is through the stomach.