Maxines Latkes Recipes

ADAM AND MAXINE'S FAMOUS LATKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Peel potatoes. Using the large holes of a box grater or the grater disk on a food processor, grate potatoes and onions. Transfer to a large kitchen towel. Gather ends of towel; twist over sink and squeeze firmly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Open towel; toss mixture to loosen. Gather towel; wring out once more.
• Whisk eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, baking powder, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Add potato mixture. Using your fingers, mix until well coated. (Latke mixture should be wet and thick, not soupy.)
• Line a large rimmed baking sheet with several layers of paper towels. Set a wire rack inside another large rimmed baking sheet; set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons schmaltz, if using, and 2 tablespoons oil (or 4 tablespoons oil if not using schmaltz; fat should measure about 1/8") in a 12" nonstick skillet over mediumhigh heat. Drop a small amount of latke mixture into pan. If the fat sizzles around the edges, it's ready. (Do not let fat smoke.)
• Working in batches and adding more schmaltz and oil to skillet as needed to maintain 1/8" fat, drop large spoonfuls of mixture into pan, pressing gently with the back of a spoon or spatula to flatten slightly. (If mixture becomes watery between batches, mix to incorporate; do not drain.)
• Cook latkes, occasionally rotating pan for even browning, until golden brown and cooked through, 2 1/2-3 minutes per side. (If small pieces of potato floating in the oil start to burn, carefully strain out.)
• Transfer latkes to paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain, then transfer to prepared wire rack. Place sheet with latkes in oven to keep warm and crisp while cooking remaining latkes.
• Serve warm latkes with applesauce and sour cream.

LATKES

Steps:

• Shred the potatoes and onion in a food processor or with a grater or mandoline. Place in a strainer that has been lined with cheesecloth or a damp kitchen towel. Toss with 3/4 teaspoon salt and let sit over a bowl to drain for 30 minutes.
• Gather the top of the cheesecloth and use your hands to squeeze out as much excess moisture as you can. Transfer the vegetables to a clean bowl; mix in the eggs, lemon juice, flour and some pepper.
• Heat 1/4 inch canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, fry loosely packed rounded tablespoons of the potato mixture until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Add more oil to the pan and adjust the temperature as needed. Transfer to a paper towel?lined plate, season with salt and set aside.

MAXINE'S LATKES

Steps:

• Grate the potatoes and onions by hand, using the large holes of a box grater. Place the grated potatoes and onions in a dish towel and wring out the excess liquid. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, bread crumbs, salt, baking powder, and pepper. Stir in the potatoes and onions and mix well. Heat schmaltz and/or vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop the mixture by spoonfuls into the pan. Flatten latkes slightly while cooking, and turn only once. Remove from the pan when latkes are crisp and golden. Serve hot with apple sauce or sour cream.

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.

SHARON'S POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• In a food processor, finely grate potatoes (don't liquefy, leave some texture). Transfer to a colander to eliminate excess liquid. Transfer to a large bowl. Finely grate onions, and mix 1 1/2 cups into potatoes.
• Add eggs, baking powder, 3/4 cup corn oil, flour, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Fold in matzo meal, blending well.
• Heat remaining 1/2 cup corn oil in a deep skillet over low heat. With a large kitchen spoon, drop batter into pan, creating pancakes about 3 1/2 inches in diameter; be careful not to crowd them. Fry until underside is a deep golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and fry for 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat with remaining batter. Drain latkes on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Serve with applesauce and/or sour cream.

MAXINE'S POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Grate the potatoes and onions by hand, using the large holes of a box grater.
• Place the grated potatoes and onions in a dish towel and wring out the excess liquid.
• Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, bread crumbs, salt, baking powder, and pepper.
• Stir in the potatoes and onions and mix well.
• Heat schmaltz and/or vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Drop the mixture by spoonfuls into the pan.
• Flatten latkes slightly while cooking, and turn only once.
• Remove from the pan when latkes are crisp and golden.
• Serve hot with apple sauce or sour cream.

NANA'S LATKES

Steps:

• Peel potatoes, and keep in cold water until you are ready to grate them.
• Grate the potatoes coarsely by hand (or with a Cuisinart using first the shredding blade then the blending blade). The mixture should be slightly lumpy and not too blended. Add the beaten eggs. Mix in up to 1 cup of flour. Add a little salt. The batter should be fairly liquid and not too thick.
• Heat about a half-inch of vegetable oil in a frying pan. When the oil is very hot, use a soupspoon as a measure to put small amounts of the batter in the oil. Fry the pancakes on one side, then the other, until they have turned brown on both sides and are crispy around the edges.
• Drain the pancakes on paper towels that have been placed on a platter atop a saucepan of simmering hot water or keep warm in the oven.