Latke: .Perfect Latkes
Source of Recipe
chanukah.spike-jamie.com
For the best results, use russet potatoes. This variety is high in starch, and the starch is necessary to help the latke mixture stick together and form pancakes that don't fall apart. Most people choose to peel the potatoes before making latkes with them, but this is entirely a matter of taste. Leaving the potato skin on will add color and texture to your pancakes. If you leave the skin on, be sure to scrub the potatoes thoroughly with a vegetable brush. If you do peel them, though, be sure to keep them under water between peeling and shredding to prevent them from oxidizing. (Oxidation is what's happening when potatoes start turning unappetizing shades of pinkish-brown and gray.) Once your potatoes are either scrubbed or peeled, get all the rest of your ingredients ready; you'll need to work fairly quickly to get the mixture ready before the potatoes change color.
Latkes are traditionally made with a potatoes and onions, but there's no rule that says you have to make them the same every time. Jazz them up by shredding in sweet potatoes, apples, carrots, garlic, parsnips or zucchini. Just be sure that the majority of the mixture still consists of potatoes; other vegetables do not contain enough starch on their own to make the mixture stick together.
Have the onions and any other veggies trimmed and peeled, have a piece of cheesecloth ready and waiting, and measure out the other ingredients your recipe calls for, such as matzo meal or flour, baking powder, eggs, cheese and seasonings. Now get ready to shred! If you have a food processor with a shredder attachment, this will make the process go faster, but a good old-fashioned hand-held grater will perform the job with flying colors too. Alternate the potato with the onion and other vegetables while you shred in order to keep the potatoes from oxidizing too quickly. (And keep a tissue nearby -- those onion fumes can really get to you!) If you want lacy latkes with rough, crispy edges, shred those potatoes coarsely. If you prefer denser latkes with smooth edges, use the fine side of the grater.
Now for one of the most important parts of the latke-making process: squeezing out the potatoes. Wet, juicy potatoes make for soggy, greasy latkes that fall apart in the pan because wet items will not brown well in oil. The potatoes need to be dry and the oil needs to be good and hot, so that the exterior of the latke will quickly sear to a crispy finish and prevent the thing from absorbing too much grease. To squeeze out the potato mixture, place it in a piece of cheesecloth and squeeze it out with brute force. When you cannot get any more liquid out, open up the cheesecloth, stir the mixture around a little, and then squeeze it some more.
Empty the contents of the cheesecloth into a mixing bowl and mix in the remaining ingredients. If you're using matzo meal, let the mixture sit for a few minutes in order to allow the matzo to soak up any remaining liquid. Now it's time for the part we've all been waiting for: the frying!
Heat up a pan with vegetable oil 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. When the oil has reached a temperature of about 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), it's time to fry! If you don't have a deep-fat thermometer, you can test the temperature of the oil by dropping a small amount of latke mixture into the pan. If it turns golden brown within one minute, the oil is ready. Form the latkes by carefully placing spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil, then flattening the mounds with a spatula. Fry until nicely browned on the bottom, then flip the latkes with a spatula and brown the other side. Drain the latkes on paper towels and serve them immediately if possible. If you aren't able to serve them right away, keep them in the oven at 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) on a pan or platter. To keep them nice and crispy, don't stack them up, and refrain from covering them.
Now dish up some applesauce and sour cream and get ready to savor the best latkes you've ever made!
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LATKE TROUBLESHOOTING:
For quick answers to common latke-making problems, refer to this handy guide:
The latkes are too greasy
The oil is probably not hot enough. Allow it to come back up to temperature between batches of latkes. You may also want to try frying them in smaller batches. Adding too many latkes to the pan at once will bring down the temperature of the oil, and it may not get hot again fast enough before they start absorbing lots of oil.
The latkes fall apart
Did you squeeze out the shredded potato mixture as much as you possibly could? Extra eggs, matzo meal, and shredded cheese will all help bind the mixture together if it seems too "loose." Next time, in addition to squeezing out the potatoes until you just can't squeeze any more, you can also shred the potatoes more finely to get the mixture to stick together.
The potatoes turn brown
Keep the peeled potatoes immersed in a bowl of cool water until the second you're ready to shred them. Alternate shredding the potatoes with shredding a little bit of onion, and stir the mixture to evenly distribute the onion. Also, be sure to work quickly! Start heating the oil as soon as you finish shredding the potatoes so it will be hot and ready to fry the moment the latke mixture is prepared. When all else fails, you can combat oxidation by partially cooking the potatoes in boiling water first. Be careful not to cook them too long unless you would rather have mashed potato pancakes. Cooking the potatoes even a little bit will remove some of the starch, so you'll need to add extra egg, matzo meal, and/or shredded cheese to help the latkes stick together.
The latkes are still chewy and starchy on the inside
To remedy this problem, you can shred the potatoes more finely, make sure the oil is hot enough, make the latkes thinner, or partially pre-cook the potatoes.
The latkes aren't crispy
Again, pay attention to the dryness of the potatoes and the temperature of the oil. These are the two most important factors in achieving latke perfection. Once you've lifted those crispy golden-brown treasures from the oil, serve them immediately for maximum enjoyment.
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