Classic Latkes Recipes

CLASSIC LATKES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together potato starch, baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; set aside. Peel potatoes; place in a bowl of cold water. On the large holes of a box grater, grate potatoes and onion. Transfer to a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth and set over a large bowl.
• Gather mixture in cheesecloth and squeeze moisture out into bowl. Let stand until a white paste settles to bottom of bowl, about 2 minutes. Remove sieve; pour liquid out of bowl and discard, leaving behind white paste.
• Add potato-onion mixture to bowl and sprinkle with baking-powder mixture; toss to coat. Add eggs; stir to combine.
• Heat 1/4 inch oil in a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high until hot but not smoking. (Test with a shred of potato; if it sizzles immediately, it's ready). Reduce heat to medium. Working in batches to avoid crowding, scoop a scant 1/4 cup of potato mixture into oil; flatten with a spatula to 1/4 inch thick. Fry, turning once, until golden brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Using a slotted spatula, transfer to paper towels set over a baking sheet. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Repeat, stirring potato mixture between batches, and adjusting heat as needed while frying. Serve immediately.

CLASSIC POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Using a food processor with a coarse grating disc, grate the potatoes and onion. Transfer the mixture to a clean dishtowel and squeeze and wring out as much of the liquid as possible.
• Working quickly, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the eggs, flour, salt, baking powder and pepper, and mix until the flour is absorbed.
• In a medium heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, pour in about 1/4 inch of the oil. Once the oil is hot (a drop of batter placed in the pan should sizzle), use a heaping tablespoon to drop the batter into the hot pan, cooking in batches. Use a spatula to flatten and shape the drops into discs. When the edges of the latkes are brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, flip. Cook until the second side is deeply browned, about another 5 minutes. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt while still warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.

CLASSIC POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Grate potatoes, then onion using large holes of box grater; place in center of large clean kitchen towel. Bring up ends of towel and twist together to form pouch. Hold pouch over sink, then squeeze to remove as much moisture from vegetables as possible. Empty vegetable mixture into large bowl. Add eggs, flour and pepper; mix well.
• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. For each latke, carefully drop 1/4 cup potato mixture into skillet, cooking 6 latkes at a time. Press with back of spatula to flatten. Cook 3 to 4 min. on each side or until golden brown on both sides. Remove latkes from skillet; drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining oil and potato mixture.
• Serve warm topped with remaining ingredients.

CLASSIC LATKES

Steps:

• Grate the potatoes and onion on the large holes of a box grater into a colander set over a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, toss well and let stand 5 minutes. Squeeze handfuls of the mixture firmly with your hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Blot dry with paper towels, then transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the beaten egg and matzo meal or flour to the potato mixture and toss well to combine. Scoop 1/4 cupfuls of the mixture and tightly pack into thin 3- to 4-inch pancakes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
• Preheat the oven to 250˚. Heat 1/4 inch vegetable oil or chicken fat in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in three batches, fry the latkes until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side, reducing the heat as needed if the latkes are browning too quickly. Remove to a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Keep warm in the oven while you make the remaining latkes. Serve with applesauce and/or sour cream.

CLASSIC POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Add the onions to a food processor and process with the standard blade until smooth. Add the eggs and process until light in color. Add the golden consomme and white pepper and blend on high until you have an even mush with no pieces of onion visible. Transfer the onion mush to a mixing bowl.
• Peel the potatoes and cut a third of them into quarters. Put the quartered potatoes in the food processor and blend until an even mush is achieved. Add the potato mush to the mixing bowl.
• This is a good time to start heating your frying pan(s) on very low heat with NO OIL!
• Switch to the food processor shredding disc and shred the remaining potatoes in batches if necessary. Before you add the shredded potatoes to the mixing bowl, take the potatoes by the handful and squeeze out as much water as possible over the sink. Add the squeezed potatoes to the mixing bowl--breaking them apart as you add them--and mix them in after every 2 to 3 handfuls. This will help evenly incorporate the mush and shreds for a consistent batter that is seasoned evenly as well. Use your strong spoon! Add 3/4 cup flour and mix; the batter is the right consistency when you don't see a lot of water collecting across the top. Add more flour a bit at a time, just enough to not have a watery mix.
• Turn the pan(s) up to medium-high or high heat (for a heavier pan). When a drop of water in the pan sizzles and pops, the pan is hot enough to add about 3/4 inch of oil. Heat the oil to between 375 and 400 degrees F.
• Before you start a big batch, make a few "tester latkes" to taste so you can adjust the seasoning. How many you make will depend on how many "experts" you have hanging around waiting for a "tester."
• Know the size of latke you want to make. I make larger ones if they are part of a meal and smaller ones if they are being served as an appetizer or being sent to school for a holiday party. Smaller ones should be about 1 tablespoon and larger ones should be about a serving spoon of batter.
• Think to yourself "thin and crispy" while you spoon the batter into the pan and flatten. Don't crowd the pan. The shredded edges may touch, but that's ok.
• Cook the latkes until the bottoms are golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes on the first side. You can't rush perfection--the middle has to cook. Don't make the heat so high that the outside burns but the middle is uncooked. Put on your favorite music or have someone you love keep you company!
• Flip when the bottoms are golden brown. Flipping tip: Putting a spatula under the latke using your dominant hand and a fork on top of the latke with your other hand will give you a controlled flip that won't splash you with oil. Cook on the second side until the bottoms are golden brown, another 3 to 4 minutes.
• Line a baking dish with paper towels. Place the cooked latkes on the lined baking dish on their sides (like a tray of Oreos); this will let the oil drain and keep them from getting soggy. If you have a lot of counter space, feel free to use a wire rack and then stack sideways. Foods cooked in oil are a part of the Chanukah story.
• Mix the batter before each batch to keep everything well incorporated. Repeat and repeat and repeat and beware "experts" looking for more "testers." If you need to add more oil to the pans, do it between batches and give it a minute to heat up. The latkes can be kept in a low oven to keep warm or the baking dish can be put in the oven at 350 degrees F to heat from room temperature. Serve with sour cream and chives or homemade applesauce.
• B'tayavon (Bon Appetit).

CLASSIC POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Place 2 baking sheets in oven. Line large bowl with towel. Finely grind potatoes and onion in processor (do not puree). Transfer to towel. Fold towel up around mixture; twist top, squeezing out all liquid into bowl. Let liquid stand 5 minutes. Pour off liquid, reserving any potato starch in bowl. Add potatoes to bowl. Mix in egg, flour, salt, pepper and baking powder.
• Heat 6 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, drop 1 heaping tablespoon batter per pancake into hot oil. Using back of spoon, spread to 2 1/2- to 3-inch rounds. Cook until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to baking sheets in oven. Repeat with remaining batter, spooning off any liquid from surface of batter and adding more oil to skillet by tablespoonfuls as necessary. Serve hot.

CLASSIC POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Coarsley grate the potatoes and onion into a large bowl, or use a food processor with a coarse grating blade. Leave the mixture to rest for about 15 mins so the liquid releases from the onions and potatoes. Carefully drain off the liquid for about 30 mins until the mixture is dry, then put in a cheese cloth and squeeze out the remaining liquid.
• Add the eggs, flour, 1 tsp sea salt and pepper, and mix well. Pour the oil into the pan so that it is 2-3cm deep. Set over a medium heat for a few minutes until it ripples.
• Carefully spoon in the mixture to the size you want - 2 tbsp for large latkes or 1 tbsp for small. Fry them in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, and cook on each side until browned for 2 mins. Remove to a plate lined with kitchen paper, then season with a sprinkling of salt. Serve with the soured cream and smoked salmon, finished with a sprinkling of chives, or just apple sauce - both are traditional.

FAMILY LATKES

Steps:

• Place potatoes in salted water and let sit for about 15 minutes.
• Grate potatoes on a medium or fine setting. Press out liquid; this should produce about 4 cups grated potato.
• Place grated potato in a bowl and stir in flour, onion, salt, and pepper. Fold in eggs.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Heat enough oil in a deep pan to reach 1/4 inch up the sides. Heat over medium-high heat until a drop of batter sizzles. Lower heat to medium.
• Working in batches, drop batter into the hot oil in desired size and flatten into pancakes; brown on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer to the prepared pans and keep warm in the preheated oven while you fry remaining batter.

CLASSIC POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Using a box grater or a food processor with the shredding disk, grate potatoes and onion alternatively. Transfer mixture onto a thin, clean dish towel; gather the corners and holding it over a large bowl, squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
• Don't discard the liquid yet and let it sit for 2 minutes to let the starch settle to the bottom. A couple minutes later, discard the liquid but keep the starch deposit.
• Put the potato mixture in the bowl. To this add beaten eggs, matzo meal, flour, salt, freshly ground black pepper and parsley; stir until well combined and set aside.
• In a large cast iron pan over medium-high, heat oil and duck fat until it reaches 350ºF. Meanwhile, using a ¼ cup measuring cup, portion the potato mixture and flatten them down to about ½-inch thick.
• When oil reaches the right temperature, gently place the latkes making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry them until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side flipping them carefully. When cooked, transfer them to a wire rack sitting on a baking sheet lined with paper towel. If making a large batch, keep latkes in the oven at 170ºF. Serve with apple sauce and crème fraiche.