Mochi Latkes

Directions

1. Prepare the relish. In a small pot, brown the butter. It will take about 10 minutes, but you need to watch it the ENTIRE time. The butter will melt, then simmer, then brown bits will start to appear. After the bottom of the pot seems to have a fair amount of browned bits, remove it from the heat. Browned butter goes from browned to burned (blackened bits instead of browned bits) in an instant, so be very careful. It should have a nutty, toasty aroma.
2. Place the fruit in the pot with the butter and put it back on low heat. Stir frequently for about 10 minutes. The fruit should cook slightly but still maintain a bite/crunch. Strain the butter and liquids from the fruit and let the relish cool completely.
3. Now for the latkes: Since we’re only grating 2 potatoes here, I like to just use a box grater (the side with the large holes) for both the potatoes and onion. If more than doubling this recipe, I would use a food processor.
4. If you’re serving the latkes today, turn on your oven’s warming drawer or your oven to 250°F to keep them warm after they are done cooking. I prefer to make mine in advance and freeze them.
5. Place 1/3 of the grated potato in a cheese cloth or a clean, thin dish towel and squeeze very tightly to remove all liquid from the potatoes. Do this three times until liquid from all the potatoes is removed. Place potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Add the grated onion with liquids. Now add in the mochi flour, eggs and salt. Stir well to combine. You’ll want to work quickly here so the potatoes don’t oxidize and discolor too much.
6. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan (I use a large stainless steel pan) with vegetable oil to about a 1/2” depth over medium heat. Test to see if the oil is ready by putting a little potato grating into the pan. If it immediately bubbles, its ready. It should take about 10 minutes for your oil to heat. Keep a careful eye on it while it’s heating up because you don’t want it to be too hot or your latkes will burn. Conversely, if you start cooking your latkes before the oil is hot enough, they will end up greasy on the inside and give you a stomach ache!
7. Line a cookie sheet with a wire rack and a couple of layers of paper towels over it. Place it near your frying pan. This is where your latkes will cool.
8. Add the latkes one at a time in the hot oil. Be careful not to overcrowd them. I cooked five at a time, max.
9. The latkes are ready to eat when they are cool to the touch but still warm inside. Top with crème fraîche, then fruit relish, then a light sprinkling of cinnamon.
10. If you are freezing your latkes, preheat your oven to 425°F an hour before you plan to serve them. Bake them for 10-15 minutes. If possible, bake them on a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet. This will help air circulate all around, ensuring they will be crispy on both sides. Cool on paper towels for about 5-10 minutes and garnish as indicated above.