Jewish Crispy Potato Pancakes Latkes Recipes

POTATO LATKES (JEWISH POTATO PANCAKES) - GLUTEN-FREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees or "warm" setting.
• Peel potatoes and submerge in cold water. Grate the onion into a large bowl. Grate the potatoes using the larger grate of a box grater, or use the grater attachment of a food processor.
• Quickly squeeze a handful of grated potatoes at a time over a second bowl (or the kitchen sink) to remove all liquid. Add the dry potatoes to the onions and mix as you go. This step should be done as quickly as possible to prevent oxidation of the potatoes.
• Heat 1/4 inch of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet (cast iron works best) over medium-high heat, until just below the smoking point.
• Add remaining ingredients to the batter, and stir until fully combined. Place a small handful of batter (approximately 1/4 cup) in the hot oil at a time, gently pressing each latke with the back of the spatula so that it is no more than 1/3" thick. Do not press too hard, as the latkes will be more crispy if the the batter is not densely packed and each latke is thin and lacy (space in between the pieces of potato). Fry until completely golden-brown on the bottom and crispy around the outside corners. Flip and brown on the second side.
• Transfer latkes to a plate lined with paper towels or several layers of brown paper (I use grocery bags). Allow paper to absorb excess oil, then transfer latkes to a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet in the preheated oven, where they will stay warm until ready to serve. Serve hot, with sour cream and applesauce.
• Extra latkes can be frozen on a baking sheet in the refrigerator, with parchment paper or freezer paper between the layers. When frozen, transfer to ziploc bags. Reheat in oven on 400 degrees F.

JEWISH CRISPY POTATO PANCAKES (LATKES)

Steps:

• Using a food processor or a handheld grater, grate the potatoes on the large-holed blade, or side of the grater. Place the grated potatoes into a large bowl, and let them sit while they release their liquid.
• In another large bowl, mix the eggs and minced onion. With your hands grab handfuls of the grated potato and squeeze over the bowl with all the potatoes in them, squeezing out as much liquid as possible back into the bowl. Transfer the squeezed potatoes into the bowl with the eggs. Repeat until all of the potatoes have been squeezed and transferred. Stick your finger into the liquid left in the other bowl. You'll feel a firm layer of potato starch at the bottom. What you need to do is carefully pour off the liquid and then scrape up all that valuable starch from the bottom of the bowl and mix it well with the egg and potato mixture (best to use your hands). This natural starch helps bind together the potatoes. If there is only a tablespoon or two of the starch, you'll also want to blend in the matzoh meal or flour. Add salt and pepper (be liberal, the pancakes will be quite bland without enough seasoning).
• In a large skillet (or use two large skillets to make the cooking go faster), heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a teaspoon or so of butter over medium heat until the butter has melted and the fat is hot. Swirl the pan, and then add spoonfuls of the potato mixture-as big or small as you wish-and gently press them into round flat shapes in the pan. Cook until golden brown and crisp for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. You'll need to keep a close eye on the heat; too low and they won't brown properly, too high and the oil will start smoking. Adjust it as needed.
• Drain briefly on paper towels, and transfer to a serving platter. Repeat until all of the potato mixture is used up, adding more oil and bits of butter as you need it (periodically you may want to dump out the pan, give it a quick wipe, and start over if you're finding that the oil is getting kind of dark and that too many bits of charred potato and onion are floating around). The potatoes will continue to release liquid as they sit; as you get to the bottom of the bowl, just give the potato mixture a quick squeeze before putting it in the hot pan to avoid splattering. And they will also start turning darker as they site, but when you cook them up it won't be very noticeable.
• Serve warm with applesauce and sour cream.

CLASSIC POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Before you begin making the latkes, place your wire cooling rack close to the area where you will be frying the latkes. Place a layer of paper towels below the cooling rack to catch excess oil. Cut the potatoes into large chunks and shred using a hand grater or food processor shredding attachment with large holes (large shreds). I really recommend using the food processor, it saves a ton of time and will help you avoid tears when grating the onion.
• Place grated potato into a bowl and immediately cover with cold water.
• Meanwhile, grate the onion using the grater or food processor attachment with fine holes (small shreds).
• Drain the potato shreds in a colander. Rinse and dry the bowl used to soak the shreds and set aside.
• Place drained potato shreds and grated onion in the center of a clean tea towel or multiple layers of cheesecloth.
• Wrap the shreds up in the cloth, twisting the cloth to secure the bundle, and squeeze firmly to remove excess liquid from the shreds.
• Pour potato and onion into the clean dry bowl. Stir the shreds with a fork to make sure the grated onion is evenly mixed throughout the potato shreds.
• In a skillet, add oil to reach a depth of 1/8 inch. If using schmaltz, add 1/4 cup to the oil. The schmaltz will add more savory flavor to the latkes. Heat slowly over medium to about 365 degrees F. While oil is heating, use the fork to stir the matzo meal, beaten eggs, potato starch, salt and pepper into the potato and onion shreds. Add salt and pepper to taste; I add about 1 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. You can sprinkle on more salt to taste after cooking, if desired. Take care to make sure the egg and seasonings are fully mixed throughout the potato shreds.
• Scoop up 3 tbsp of the potato mixture and shape into a tightly compacted disk.Place the disk carefully into the hot oil. Latkes can break apart at this point, they're very delicate. If you can get them into the hot oil in one piece, chances are they will stick together - frying them is like the "glue" that holds them together. It takes a gentle touch, and it may take you some practice to get the "feel" for it.The oil should sizzle, but not pop when the latke hits it; if the oil jumps wildly or smokes, it is too hot. If it only bubbles weakly, the oil is not hot enough. Use the first latke to test the oil temperature, and don't fry a whole batch until the temperature is right.
• Continue shaping the latkes in this way, using 3 tablespoons of potato mixture for each latke. Fry in batches of 4-5 latkes at a time (no more than that - don't crowd the pan) for 2-3 minutes per side until brown and crispy.
• Remove the latkes from the pan using a metal spatula and place them on the wire cooling rack to drain.I recommend serving latkes fresh within 10 minutes of frying them, if your cooking schedule permits. If you need to make them ahead, fry them 2 hours or less before serving. You can also freeze them if you're not serving them right away.
• To Reheat Latkes: Place them on an ungreased, unlined cookie sheet. To reheat from room temperature, place in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes (7 if using a convection oven), until heated through, just prior to serving. From frozen, it can take 15-25 minutes to reheat. Sprinkle with more salt, if desired, and serve latkes with applesauce and/or sour cream (or dairy free sour cream).