Potato-Apple Latkes - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Latkes
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
4 baking potatoes, peeled and coarsely shredded (2 1/2 pounds)
1 medium onion, coarsely grated
1 granny smith apple (peeled, cored and coarsely shredded)
canola oil, for frying
schmaltz, for frying (see Note)
Vanilla Applesauce
1 lb mcintosh apple
1 lb granny smith apple
1 cup water
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
sour cream, for serving

Preparation

In a large bowl, mix the egg with the flour, salt and white pepper. In a colander, toss the shredded potatoes with the onion and apple and squeeze dry. Add to the bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat 1/2 cup of canola oil with 2 tablespoons of the schmaltz until shimmering. Spoon heaping tablespoons of the latke mixture into the oil about 2 inches apart and flatten slightly with a fork. Fry the latkes over moderately high heat until golden on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower the heat to moderate, turn the latkes and fry until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes longer. Drain the latkes on paper towels set on a rack and transfer to a platter. Repeat with the remaining latke mixture, adding more oil and schmaltz to the skillet as needed. Serve hot with Vanilla Applesauce and sour cream.
Vanilla Applesauce: Peel, core and quarter the apples. In a medium saucepan, combine the apples, water, vanilla and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool, then remove the vanilla bean and whisk until a chunky sauce forms.