Cooking Up A Hanukkah/Shabbat Double-Header With Our Place

This year, Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, falls on two Fridays, meaning a double header of lighting the menorah and the Shabbat candles. We’re using our Our Place cookware (the Always Pan 2.0 and the Shabbat Set, which consists of the Oven Pan and Oven Mats) to whip up a perfect double-header holiday meal! Check out our editor-in-chief’s family recipes below! —Vita Daily

Potato Latkes

2 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
1 large onion
3/4 cups matzo meal or breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tbsp potato starch (or more, if needed; can sub all-purpose flour)
1 1/4 tsp salt, to taste
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups or so vegetable oil for frying

Place a wire cooling rack with a layer of paper towel below it close to the area where you will be frying. Cut potatoes into large chunks, then shred using a hand grater or food processor. Place grated potato in bowl and cover with cold water. Grate the onion. Drain potato and place, along with the onion, in the centre of a clean tea towel. Use the towel to squeeze and remove excess liquid from the vegetables. Put potato and onion in a clean, dry bowl and stir to combine. In the Always Pan 2.0 add oil to a depth of 1/8 inch. Heat slowly over medium to 365 F. Meanwhile. add matzo meal, beaten eggs, salt and pepper into the potato-onion mixture. Combine thoroughly with fork. Scoop up 3 tbsp of the mixture and shape into a tightly compacted disk. Place disk into the hot oil carefully—this takes a gentle touch! The oil should sizzle, but not pop when the latke hits it; if it bubbles wildly or smokes, it is too hot! If it bubbles weakly, it’s not hot enough. Use the first latke to test the temp of your oil until it’s just right. Continue shaping and frying the latkes in this way; you can use your Always Pan 2.0 to fry four or five latkes at a time; just be careful not to crowd the pan. Fry each batch for 2-3 minutes per side until latkes are brown and crispy. Remove with a spatula and place on the cooling rack to drain. Serve with sour cream and apple sauce within 10 minutes of frying, or keep warm in a low oven.

Challah Bread

2 1/2 tsp fast-action yeast
200 mL lukewarm water
90 g castor sugar
580 g bread flour
1 tbsp flaky sea salt
3 eggs (2 for dough, 1 for brushing), beaten
60 mL sunflower oil, plus 1 tsp extra to grease a bowl
60 g unsalted butter, cubed and at room temp

Mix yeast and water in a small bowl with 1/2 tsp sugar. Set aside for 15 minutes till it starts to froth. Put the rest of the sugar into the bowl of a food processor. Add flour and salt, pulse a few times to combine, then add the yeast mix, 2 beaten eggs, oil and butter, and mix until it forms a smooth, soft, elastic ball, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl brushed with oil. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm spot for about 2 hours, until doubled in size. Divide dough into three equal parts; roll and pull each piece into a 4.5 cm x 4.5 cm thick sausage shape. Position the three sausages side by side on a large sheet of parchment paper and press together the top ends, to join. Braid into a plait; to finish, press the bottom ends together to join and seal. Tuck both ends under the plait to neaten and prevent unravelling. Cover again with a tea towel and let rise for 75 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 F and warm the Always Oven Pan inside. Brush the plait all over with the third beaten egg, ensuring you get into all the crevices, then lift the bread on the paper onto the hot baking tray. Bake 30 minutes until the top is a deep golden brown and the bottom is similarly dark and sounds hollow when you tap it. Set aside to cool before serving.