Great Latkes
List of Ingredients
Latkes are traditionally eaten at Hanukkah, but they're a treat anytime you've got a craving for crispy, savory potato pancakes.
Recipe
Let's start with the heart of every latke: the potatoes. 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.
Just Grate!
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.
Squeeze your Spuds
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!
Fry Away!
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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