Latkes are pan-fried pancakes made primarily from shredded potatoes (sweet potatoes in this paleo version). We love the way they complement the popular egg and lox salad from the archives. Smarts: Applesauce is a common topping for latkes and give them a sweet finish, but feel free to top them with anything you'd like (hash brown toppings like salsa or ketchup would also be good).
Make dressing - (Skip if dressing was made ahead for Monday.) Chop garlic and capers. Mix with lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and honey. Add olive oil, while whisking. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead and refrigerated)
Hard boil eggs - Place eggs in a saucepan, and cover by 1” / 2.5cm of water. Salt generously and then bring to a boil. Once water has reached a boil, take it off the heat and just let it sit for 11 minutes. (Can be done up to 4 days ahead)
Shred sweet potatoes - Rinse and peel potatoes. Shred potatoes by hand with the large holes of a box grater or using the shredder attachment of a food processor. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
Wrap potatoes in a clean dish towel and squeeze to drain out any excess moisture (note: less moisture will make for crispier latkes).
Mix potatoes with salt and egg until evenly combined.
Heat a large nonstick pan (or use a griddle to cook more at one time) over medium heat. Add oil to heated pan.
Working in batches, spoon ~3 Tbsp / 45 mL of potato mixture into the hot oil, spreading it out a bit to form 4” / 10cm wide cakes. Cook on one side until golden brown, ~5 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown and tender, ~5 minutes more. Continue until all of the potato mixture is cooked, adding more oil if the pan starts to look dry.
Transfer cooked latkes to a paper-towel lined plate.
Assemble salad by tossing onions, cucumbers and lettuce with dressing. Top with salmon and eggs.
Serve latkes with applesauce for topping. Enjoy salad on the side.
We used canned salmon instead of smoked salmon, because of personal preference, but the salad was great! And although they were quite a bit of work, the potato latkes were so worth it.