In our household, December meals are not usually vegetarian. But this year I included a dinner of Crispy Potato Pancakes with roasted carrots, labneh, and hot honey, inspired by Samin Nosrat’s recent podcast of Home Cooking, where she answered a question from a listener seeking advice on how to use four gallons of honey.
Samin, a honey enthusiast, excitedly described honey’s various uses and preparation methods: burnt, churned, whipped, and exclaimed, “I love hot honey, too. That’s so delicious for drizzling over pizza, fried chicken or roasted carrots with labneh!” Later, after another caller described how she flavored honey with jalapeno, Samin proclaimed, “So cool. Could you imagine putting jalapeño honey, or maybe burnt honey, on latkes? I feel like the fried latkes and honey would be great together!”
Samin’s two intriguing suggestions —hot honey on roasted carrots with labneh and spicy honey on latkes—captured my imagination. Why not try hot honey on roasted carrots with labneh as a side to latkes or other potato pancakes?
What are latkes?
Latkes are potato pancakes, the stars of this dinner. Culinary historians believe that potato pancakes originated in Eastern Europe, where potatoes became a staple crop and a nutritional safety net over 300 years ago, particularly in present-day Ukraine, Poland, and Belarus. The earliest known recipes for potato pancakes date back to the 18th century. Now known as Jewish latkes, Ukrainian deruny, Polish placki ziemniaczane, or Belarusian draniki*, early recipes were simple, such as the Ukrainian deruny recipe used here. Finely or coarsely grated potatoes, onions, eggs, and flour were fried in oil to create a crispy, golden-brown pancake.
Potato pancakes spread from country to country through cultural exchange resulting from trade, war, colonization and migration that introduced new flavors and cooking methods. They hold a special place in the culinary traditions of many cultures, particularly in Eastern Europe and Jewish communities. Potato pancakes became a part of Jewish cuisine through the borrowing, adaptation and modification of traditional recipes between Jewish and non-Jewish communities. Today, potato pancakes, however named, remain a beloved and iconic tradition in Ukraine, Poland, and other European countries, where they are both an everyday dish and a staple served during special celebrations, such as Hannukkah, Christmas, and Easter.
The ingredients and preparation methods are essentially identical across cuisines –raw potatoes are shredded and fried in a skillet. In regions where potatoes are not starchy, cooks add flour or potato starch and eggs as binders. But where starchy potatoes are available, these added ingredients are unnecessary.
Samin’s enthusiasm for honey, labneh, and potato pancakes stimulated my eagerness to taste this international mash-up of Eastern European potato pancakes accompanied by Middle Eastern labneh and succulent, roasted carrots, all dressed in hot honey from the American South. Traditionally, depending on the cuisine, potato pancakes are served with sour cream and/or applesauce. Here, smooth and tart labneh substitutes perfectly for sour cream’s creaminess and caramelized carrots sweetened with hot honey substitute for the sweetness of applesauce.
As I searched for and adapted recipes for each component of this meal, it became apparent that no special cooking skills or equipment were necessary. Each component required a few minutes of time and preparation, which could be spread over several days, very handy during a busy holiday season.
These Crispy Potato Pancakes with roasted carrots, labneh, and hot honey were a hit in my family! Surprisingly, this novel combination of familiar ingredients and tastes produces a wonderfully savory and satisfying meal. Clearly, the meal’s flavor is greater than the sum of its parts. My official family taster declared that it was the best meat-free dish he’s ever had, and that these Crispy Potato Pancakes with roasted carrots, labneh, and hot honey should be part of our family’s culinary repertoire.
How to make this Crispy Potato Pancake dinner
Labneh and hot honey are prepared first, as both improve over a day or two in the refrigerator. Since roasted carrots and potato pancakes are best served hot, they should be prepared on the day of the dinner.
Labneh(also known as labne, labni, lebni), is a strained yogurt with a tart, creamy taste. Initially from the cuisines of the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean, labneh can be soft and spreadable, firm and moldable, or hard and salted for longer storage. For a detailed description of labneh and its uses, see https://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/labneh-savory-sweet-versatility/
Although ready-to-eat labneh is now available in ethnic groceries, it is surprisingly easy to make. All you need is yogurt, salt, cheesecloth, a piece of string and a colander.
Labneh
1 35.5 oz (1000 g) whole milk Greek yogurt
½ teaspoon salt
Empty the yogurt into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and mix with spatula to combine thoroughly.
Line a colander with double-thickness cheesecloth. Place a colander over a large bowl so the colander’s bottom is raised above the bowl’s, leaving several inches for whey drainage. Transfer the yogurt mixture into the cheesecloth. Gather the cheesecloth up around the yogurt and tie it into a pouch with a string.
Hang the pouch over the colander for a few hours to speed up the draining. Then place the pouch in a colander over an empty bowl, cover with a plate and a heavy weight (like a large can of tomatoes), and refrigerate.
Move the weight around every 6 hours or so to squeeze out the maximum whey from the yogurt. If you want to use the labneh as a spread, 12 hours of draining is ideal, which is what I did for this dinner. But if you want a denser, cheesecake-like labneh to shape into balls, draining for 24 hours yields better results.
After the allotted time passes, remove the bowl and colander from the refrigerator. Untie the pouch. Labneh is ready to use as a spread or to mold.
If kept covered and refrigerated, labneh can last up to 2 weeks; if formed into balls, packed into sterilized jars, and covered with olive oil, it will last for several months in the refrigerator.
Makes 16 ounces (500 grams) of labneh, though quantities may vary depending on the yogurt used.
Hot honey from the kitchens of the American South. Its characteristic sweetness has a subtle tartness and can be made as spicy as desired from either fresh or dried, crushed chilis. Both types of chilies produce great hot honey, but unlike fresh chilies, dried chilies have low water content and yield hot honey with a room-temperature shelf life of 2-3 months.
The spiciness of hot honey is easily controlled by the amount of added chilis: about ½ teaspoon for mild heat or up to 2 tablespoons for super spicy. I added 3 teaspoons of crushed pepper flakes for a medium-spiced honey and left the dried chilis in the honey, which made the honey hotter over time. If a milder honey is preferred, it is best to strain out the chilis. For hotter honey, grind the crushed pepper to a powder in a spice mill; the powder will disperse evenly throughout the honey, increasing the heat.
Adding a few teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to the honey calms the spicy flavor, adds subtle tartness and makes it pourable.
Of course, hot honey can be purchased. But why? It is a breeze to make, requiring three ingredients, about 10 minutes, and it can be made to taste.
Hot Honey
1 cup (236 ml) honey
½ teaspoon to 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes or ground red pepper, from mild to super hot
1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Combine the honey and desired amount of chili flakes (coarse or finely ground) in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Gently heat the honey until small bubbles form along the edges of the pan. (Do not let the honey boil as it will easily boil over and become too thick and sticky.). Then remove the pan from the heat.
Let the honey infuse for 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar. Cool completely. Let steep for 1 hour before using.
If you use coarsely crushed pepper, strain the honey through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean glass jar with a tight lid. Store in a dry, cool place.
Before drizzling hot honey, restore its fluidity by warming for 20 seconds in a microwave or for a few minutes in a pot of warm water.
Carrots are simple to roast. This naturally sweet vegetable improves with roasting. In this basic recipe, large, evenly cut pieces of carrots coated in olive oil, salt and pepper are roasted at high temperature for 30 minutes. The carrots soften and shrink during roasting, becoming tender with a deep, concentrated flavor and golden, caramelized edges.
Roasted Carrots
2 pounds (907 g) carrots, peeled and cut on an angle into ½ inch (1.27 cm) disks
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt (or 1 ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal), or more to taste
Ground black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Heat oven to 400ºF (204ºC). On a large baking sheet, toss carrots with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and lightly caramelized, for about 30-40 minutes.
Carrots roasted in a hot oven
Garnish with parsley, if desired, before serving.
Potato pancakes, deruny, one of the most beloved meat-free dishes in Ukraine, are served for lunch, dinner as a main course or a side dish.. Deruny are a culinary cornerstone of the country’s cuisine, and variations of this favorite comfort food are enjoyed throughout the country. Culinary historians believe this dish originated in Ukraine’s rural areas, where potatoes were essential for survival. The name deruny comes from the verb derty—to tear or grate, which refers to the grated potatoes and onions. According to Chef Klopotenko “…[R]oughly grated potatoes are the only way to go….there ‘s nothing better than deruny with crispy, crunchy golden edges!”
Deruny, adapted from Yevhen Klopotenko, The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen, Voracious, New York, May 2024.
1 medium onion
3-4 russet potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes
1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt (or 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal), or more to taste
1 large egg or 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
1 clove garlic, minced or grated with a microplane, optional
¼ cup potato starch
⅓ cup neutral vegetable oil, or more as needed
Gather the ingredients. Heat the oven to 300ºF (149ºC). Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment and top with a rack. Set aside.
Peel, cut, and shred the potatoes and onion on the large-holed side of a box grater or a food processor fitted with a coarse disk.
Place the shredded potatoes and onion in a colander over a bowl, and gently squeeze out as much liquid as possible with the back of a spoon. (Alternatively, transfer mixture to a clean kitchen towel; holding over the sink, wring out as much liquid as possible.)
Russet potatoes grated in a food processor
Transfer the mixture to a dry large bowl. Add salt and egg or egg whites. Then add black pepper, garlic (if desired), and starch, and mix well with a fork to combine.
Heat ⅓ cup (80 ml) of vegetable oil in a heavy cast-iron or nonstick frying pan over medium heat. (Test if the oil is hot enough by dropping half a teaspoon of the potato mixture into pan; if hot oil sizzles, it’s ready.)
Working in small batches of 3-4 deruny, scoop out ¼ cup of potato mixture and carefully place them apart in the hot pan, flattening each with a spatula and tidying the edges into 2 ½ – 3-inch (6.35 – 7.62 cm) rounds. Fry each side for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden and crispy. Then transfer cooked deruny to the prepared rimmed baking sheet.
Frying potato pancakes
Between batches, add oil to the frying pan and let it reheat. Then continue frying and transferring the remaining deruny to the baking sheet. Once all deruny are fried, bake in a 300°F(149ºC) oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Makes 13-15 potato pancakes. Serves 3-4.
Crispy potato pancakes ready to bake
How to serve these Potato Pancakes with roasted carrots, labneh, and hot honey: Warm plates in the oven for 10 minutes. Heat the labneh and hot honey in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute each. Spread 3 heaping tablespoons of warm labneh on one side of a dinner plate. Top with roasted carrots. Arrange 2-3 potato pancakes on the side. Drizzle with warm, hot honey. Serve with extra hot honey.
Crispy Potato Pancakes with Roasted Carrots, Labneh and Hot Honey
*From their Eastern European roots, potato pancakes spread to the cuisines of other countries around Europe, with each country adding its twist on the classic potato pancake recipe. For example, potato pancakes are also found in the cuisines of Austria and Germany (Kartoffelpuffer), the Czech Republic (Bramboracky), Sweden (Rårakor), Hungary (Tócsni), and Switzerland Rösti.
Photo credits: Slava Johnson
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