During Chanukah, as a tradition we are encouraged (some might say commanded) to eat fried foods - it makes us remember what this holiday signifies (potato pancakes, doughnuts, or anything fried or with oil). When this time of year comes around - my conjured memories take me back to the latke party that my mother’s Haddassah chapter used to throw at one of the local synagogues.
It would start out with my father and his boss (Uncle Miltie) taking what appeared to be 500lbs of potatoes over to a local restaurant (Perkins in this case) and getting the potatoes peeled and grated. They would load up the peeled potatoes in the trunk of the car (SUV’s didn’t exist at the time) and take them to the event’s location. There, some of the ladies of the organization would toil away at mixing the pancake batter and my father and Uncle Miltie would fry up piles of the potato pancakes and serve them up to the droves of people coming to the party - what can I say? Jews are sometimes drawn to functions because of the food. When you’d walk into the social hall, you’d be immediately greeted by the smell emanating from the little golden fried discs. It was truly a labor of love and they were enjoyed by all.
Before we get to the recipe, let’s get some things out of the way:
I know, some of you are going to ask, “Can I use either a very light amount of oil or bake them in the oven?”. I’m not going to say no, but I find the technique used in this recipe produces a better quality latke. But hey, if you have some other types of health concerns, give it a try and let me know how they turn out.
The other thing people are going to ask, “Can I use shredded potatoes?”. The answer is yes, but I actually prefer the potatoes grated into small pieces so the mixture is more of a coarse batter (it’s how I was taught to make them and how I enjoy them better). I find the cooking latkes tend to stay together better when they cook.
Lastly, what is your favorite topping - Sour Cream or Applesauce? Well, for me personally (and don’t cringe when you read this), but I like a small pinch of salt and both Sour Cream and Applesauce - yes - that’s right BOTH!!!
Yields (10 - 12 Pancakes)
Ingredients
4 Large Potatoes Grated (I prefer either russets or yukon gold potatoes)
1 Medium Yellow Onion Grated
2 Eggs
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
½ Cup of Sifted Flour (for Passover - we either use Matzoh Flour or Matzoh Meal that I put into the blender)
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Potato Starch
1 Teaspoon Salt
Canola Oil for Frying (some like Grape seed or Peanut oil - the key is that it be an oil with a higher smoke point since you are doing frying) - enough for ¼” or ⅜” of oil in a frying pan.
Directions
Cube the raw potatoes and put them in the food processor until they are the consistency of finely grated potatoes. Alternatively, you can also hand grate the potatoes.
Drain the potatoes (I put them in a fine sieve and I give them a quick rinse with cold water (not too much) and I press out a fair amount of the moisture. The more water you can eliminate now, the less the potatoes will tend to turn red in color. It also helps to hold the latkes together as they fry.
Cube the raw onion and put it into the food processor until it is the consistency of finely grated potatoes.
Combine the potatoes and onion together into one bowl.
Beat eggs and canola oil together. Stir egg / oil mixture in with the potatoes.
Sift flour, and add flour, baking powder, potato starch, and salt together with the wet ingredients. Stir until smooth.
Place a frying pan over low to medium heat and add the oil. You will want the oil to be hot (about 350 degrees F). To test the heat of your pan - take a bamboo skewer and when you touch the bottom of the pan you will see bubbles emanating from it. Alternatively, drop a couple of popcorn kernels in the pan and when the kernels pop, the pan / oil are hot enough.
Drop by Tablespoon sized spoonfuls into the hot oil and slightly flatten the pancakes. The oil in the pan should be approximately ½ way up the thickness of the pancakes. DON’T crowd the pan.
When the pancakes are light golden brown color, flip and cook the other side. Your goal should be to only flip your pancake once. When the second side is cooked, remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel or brown paper bag.
Season to taste with a sprinkling of sea salt.
TIPS:
Make your latkes ahead of time - When the fried latkes have slightly cooled, place them on a sheet pan and immediately place them in the freezer. When they have frozen, place them in a plastic bag and keep them in the freezer. To re-heat, place the frozen latkes on a baking sheet and place into a pre-heated 350 degree F oven. Bake for approximately 15 - 20 minutes or until the latkes are hot.
Frozen shredded potatoes (yes - they are shredded - I know, I know) can be used to save time in the kitchen.
For a Gluten Free version of this recipe, switch out the flour and substitute rice flour. You might also need to add a little more starch
If you find the latkes are falling a part on you, add a little more potato starch to the batter.
As Always Best Regards and BonAppetIT!!!
The I.T. Gourmet
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