Potato Pancakes with Oven-Roasted Thyme Applesauce, Sour Cream, and Poached Eggs

Ingredients

• For the applesauce:
• 2 pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut into rough slices
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 sprigs thyme, plus extra for garnish
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons water
• For the potato pancakes:
• 1 large egg white plus 4 whole eggs, divided
• 3 cups peeled and coarsely grated Idaho potatoes, squeezed of excess liquid
• 1 small white onion, grated and squeezed of excess liquid
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons matzo meal
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions

1. For the apple sauce, set an oven rack in the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the apples, sugar, cinnamon, thyme, a pinch of salt, and water into a large ovenproof baking dish, then toss everything together. Bake until the apples have softened, about 45 minutes. Take the dish out of the oven, remove the thyme, and use the back of a fork to mash the apples coarsely, keeping a little texture. Refrigerate the apple sauce, and turn the oven down to 200 degrees F.
2. For the potato pancakes, lightly whisk the egg white in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the potatoes, onion, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and matzo meal.
3. Warm 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan until it shimmers. Cook the pancakes in batches, using a heaping 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture for each one and pressing them into thin rounds. Fry until the undersides are browned, 2 to 3 minutes, then turn them over and brown the other side, adding more oil as you need it. Move the cooked pancakes to paper towels to drain, and season them with additional salt while they are hot.
4. Arrange the drained pancakes on a baking sheet and place them in the oven so they stay warm. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture until all the pancakes are cooked.
5. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil, then lower the heat until the water is just below a simmer. Crack the eggs into separate bowls. Working with one egg at a time, pour it into a fine mesh strainer and gently swirl it over the sink or a bowl to let the loose, watery whites drain away. Lower the egg into the water and gently slide it in. Continue until all the eggs are in the pan. Cook, carefully swirling and turning the eggs so they cook evenly, until the whites are firm but the yolks remain runny, 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and set them on a paper towel-lined plate. A video can be helpful for seeing the poaching motion.
6. To serve, arrange the potato pancakes on plates with a generous spoonful each of sour cream and applesauce. Set an egg on each plate, season the egg with salt and pepper, scatter fresh thyme leaves over the top, and serve.