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.
Ingredients: [‘water’, ‘fresh ginger’, ‘ground allspice’, ‘vanilla bean’, ‘bosc pears’, ‘fresh cranberries’, ‘granulated sugar’, ‘salt’, ‘fresh ground black pepper’, ‘creme fraiche’, ‘fresh ground black pepper’, ‘salt’, ‘baking potato’, ‘onion’, ‘all-purpose flour’, ‘baking powder’, ‘egg’, ‘kosher salt’, ‘fresh ground pepper’, ‘canola oil’]
Quantity of Ingredients: [“”,”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 “,””,”1 cup creme fraiche”,”1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper”,” salt, to taste “,””,”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 “]
Number of Servings: 4
Steps: [‘PEAR CHUTNEY:’, ‘Over medium heat, bring water to a boil.’, ‘Add the ginger, allspice, and scraped vanilla bean seeds; stir.’, ‘Add the pears and cranberries, and cook until pears cook down and become soft and cranberries pop completely, about 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally.’, ‘Coarsely mash to a chunky consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste, check for desired sweetness, and add more sugar if needed.’, ‘Let cool to room temperature.’, ‘PEPPERED CREME FRAICHE:’, ‘Whisk together crème fraiche and black pepper.’, ‘Add salt to taste, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.’, ‘POTATO PANCAKES:’, ‘Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.’, ‘Use a box grater and coarsely shred the potato and the onion.’, ‘Transfer potato/onion mixture to a colander or wrap in cheesecloth and squeeze dry as possible. Let stand 2 minutes, then squeeze dry again.’, ‘Put the potato/onion mixture in a large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, egg, salt and pepper. Gently fold to combine.’, ‘Use a large cast-iron skillet. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering.’, ‘Drop heaping tablespoons of the potato mixture into the skillet and flatten them with the back of a spoon.’, ‘Cook the pancakes over moderately high heat until the edges are golden, about 1 1/2-2 minutes.’, ‘Flip and cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minute.’, ‘Drain on paper towels.’, ‘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.’, ‘ASSEMBLE:’, ‘Serve pancakes topped with chutney and a small dollop of peppered crème fraiche.’, ‘HOT OVEN:’, “If the potato pancakes were undercooked or didn’t get the desired browning, heat in the 400-degree oven.”, ‘If reheating potato pancakes, place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees until they are crisp again.’]