Brussels Sprouts Latkes with Cinnamon Applesauce + Arugula Salad

Peel the apples. (The peels are great snacks! Or, stir them into a jar with ½ cup of sugar to infuse it. Later, use in place of regular white sugar in any fall dessert, or mix with cinnamon and sprinkle on buttered toast. You can leave the apples in the sugar – it will keep for about 1 month)

Slice the fruit off of the core then chop it into small squares about ½” big. Add them to a heavy pot.

Add the cinnamon, ½ of the sugar, water, and just a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Save the other ½ of the sugar - depending on the sweetness of your apples and your preference for taste, you may or may not decide to add more later.

When the apples come to a boil, stir well and turn down to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot leaving just a little crack for steam to escape. Cook for about 16 minutes.

Wash the potatoes well. If you have a food processor with a shredder blade, it’s worth getting it set up. If not, use the largest holes on a box grater and shred all of the potatoes into a large bowl.

Send the brussels through the food processor shredder blade next. If using a box grater - don’t! Use a knife and chiffonade the brussels as finely as you can. Add to the potatoes.

Do the onion last. You can use a box grater for this but you might shed a tear or two.

To this mixture add a ½ teaspoon of salt and the zest of a lemon. Next stir in the flour and eggs. Stir to evenly combine.

OPTIONS: Use a large sauté pan to cook batches. Use an electric griddle or a stovetop griddle to cook more at once. Use a baking sheet to make it less labor intensive but they don’t quite come out the same (see below).

Melt some of the butter (about ½ if using a griddle or ¼ if doing batches in a sauté pan) and add enough oil to coat the pan. When hot, add the potato mixture in about ½ cup batches to the pan. Press gently to flatten just a bit and sear for about 2 - 3 minutes. Carefully flip. It should be golden. Cook another 2 - 3 minutes. When done, it will be crispy and cooked through. Transfer to a baking sheet and into the oven. Repeat with the next batches.

Heat the oven to 450 instead. Drizzle some oil on 2 sheet pans and add ½ cup piles of potato mixture. Press gently to flatten just a bit. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes. Then flip. And bake for about 3 minutes longer. These won’t be quite the same, but they’re still super delicious and this is hands-off cooking.

Returning to the applesauce once the latkes are searing, use a masher or the back of a large fork to start crushing up the apples a bit. This also helps to test for doneness. They should be soft throughout.

Here’s where some style comes in. You can add more sugar to make it sweeter. If it’s too thick, add a little more water. And, mash it to be as coarse or smooth as you like.

Juice the lemon in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in about 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Toss in the clean and dry arugula to coat.

Serve the arugula as a bed and top with a few latkes. Dollop sour cream on top to taste. Serve with a generous side of applesauce, which when mixed with the crispy latke and sour cream is pure heaven.