BF's Potato Pancakes & Pear Cranberry Chutney

Submitted by KateL

"Entered for safe-keeping, from 11/27/13 Rachel Ray Show, by Bobby Flay. I cracked up when they said this was perfect for "Thanksgivingkah", because 11/28/13 marks the beginning of Hannukah as well as U.S. Thanksgiving. I use pears in my slightly tart cranberry applesauce (Recipe #508238), so this pear chutney would be sweeter. Topping the potato pancakes with the chutney looks very festive and would be a pleasant change of pace. Try grapeseed oil for a clean taste and a high smoke point. Pancakes may be made a day ahead."

 

• Ready In: 59mins
• Ingredients: 20
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• PEAR CHUTNEY

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (will use the seeds)
• 4 ripe bosc pears, peeled and cored and cut into small dice
• 1 cup fresh cranberries, picked over and rinsed
• 2 -3 tablespoons granulated sugar (prefer it slightly tart or sweeter?)
• salt, to taste
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste

• PEPPERED CREME FRAICHE

• 1 cup creme fraiche
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• salt, to taste

• POTATO PANCAKES

• 1 large baking potato, peeled and coarsely shredded (1 pound)
• 1 small onion, peeled and coarsely shredded
• 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch baking powder
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 -5 tablespoons canola oil or 2 -5 tablespoons grapeseed oil, for frying

directions

1. PEAR CHUTNEY:

2. Over medium heat, bring water to a boil.
3. Add the ginger, allspice, and scraped vanilla bean seeds; stir.
4. Add the pears and cranberries, and cook until pears cook down and become soft and cranberries pop completely, about 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
5. Coarsely mash to a chunky consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste, check for desired sweetness, and add more sugar if needed.
6. Let cool to room temperature.

7. PEPPERED CREME FRAICHE:

8. Whisk together crème fraiche and black pepper.
9. Add salt to taste, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

10. POTATO PANCAKES:

11. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
12. Use a box grater and coarsely shred the potato and the onion.
13. Transfer potato/onion mixture to a colander or wrap in cheesecloth and squeeze dry as possible. Let stand 2 minutes, then squeeze dry again.
14. Put the potato/onion mixture in a large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, egg, salt and pepper. Gently fold to combine.
15. Use a large cast-iron skillet. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering.
16. Drop heaping tablespoons of the potato mixture into the skillet and flatten them with the back of a spoon.
17. Cook the pancakes over moderately high heat until the edges are golden, about 1 1/2-2 minutes.
18. Flip and cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minute.
19. Drain on paper towels.
20. Repeat Steps 16-19 with the remaining potato mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as needed, and waiting for oil to shimmer again before dropping potato mixture in again.

21. ASSEMBLE:

22. Serve pancakes topped with chutney and a small dollop of peppered crème fraiche.

23. HOT OVEN:

24. If the potato pancakes were undercooked or didn't get the desired browning, heat in the 400-degree oven.
25. If reheating potato pancakes, place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees until they are crisp again.