Using the large holes of a box grater or a food processor fitted with a medium-coarse shredding disk, alternately shred potatos, turnip, and onion.
Place vegetables in a strainer over a large bowl. Squeeze to extract excess moisture, and let stand for a few minutes. Place vegetables in a second bowl, discard liquid collected in the first bowl, stirring any white potato starch left behind back into vegetables. Beat together eggs, flour, thyme, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl until well combined. Add egg mixture to vegetables and mix until evenly combined.
Heat duck fat or oil in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, line a large plate or baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
Form a silver-dollar-size latke and carefully place it in the hot fat to test for proper oil temperature; the oil should immediately bubble on the edges of the latke. Cook until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove latke from oil and taste, adjusting seasoning as needed.
Form more silver-dollar-size patties and place into hot oil while not overcrowding the pan. Fry undisturbed until latkes hold together and become golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Remove to the paper towel–lined plate, and continue cooking more latkes, skimming out any vegetable bits in between batches and adding more fat when necessary. (If you add more fat, make sure it is at the proper temperature before cooking more latkes.) Serve hot or at room temperature with applesauce.
Beverage pairing: Labouré-Roi Beaujolais-Villages St. Armand, France. A full-bodied white would go well with these rich latkes, but there’s joy in a nice, dark, juicy red as a pairing. Young Beaujolais has this jubilant character; full and fresh, it’s not too heavy or tannic to obscure the food.
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