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Latkes
Serves 16 Prep 20 min Cook 25 min Total 45 min Type Meal Origin Polish

Latkes

Crisp Ashkenazi potato pancakes, fried in oil until shatteringly golden on the outside and soft inside. Eaten at Hanukkah (the oil is the point - celebrating the miracle of the Temple's lasting lamp), but eaten constantly the rest of the year too. Sour cream and apple sauce on top; argue forever about which is correct.

Serves 16 Prep 20 minutes Cook 25 minutes Units Rate

Overview

Potatoes and onion are coarsely grated; the mixture is squeezed bone-dry in a cloth (this is the difference between great latkes and soggy ones). Egg and matzo meal (or flour) bind; the lot fries in shallow oil over medium-high heat until each side is crisp and deeply golden. Drain and salt; eat hot.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg floury potatoes (Maris Piper, King Edward; peeled)
  • 1 onion (large)
  • 2 eggs (large)
  • 4 tablespoons matzo meal (or plain flour)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Sunflower oil (or vegetable oil for shallow frying)

To serve

Method

Stage 1 - Grate

  1. Coarsely grate the potatoes and onion (a box grater is fine; food processor with grating disc faster).
  2. Pile into a clean tea towel; gather corners; twist hard over the sink to wring out as much liquid as possible. The drier you can get this, the crispier the latkes.

Stage 2 - Mix

  1. Tip the wrung mix into a wide bowl.
  2. Beat in the eggs, matzo meal, salt and pepper.

Stage 3 - Fry

  1. Heat 5 mm of oil in a wide heavy frying pan over medium-high heat - a piece of mixture should sizzle vigorously when dropped in.
  2. Drop heaped tablespoons of mixture into the pan; flatten gently to 1 cm thick discs about 7 cm across.
  3. Fry 3-4 minutes per side until each is deep golden and crisp at the edges; the inside should be cooked through.
  4. Lift onto a wire rack lined with kitchen paper; salt immediately.
  5. Cook in 3-4 batches, adding more oil and adjusting the heat as needed.

Stage 4 - Serve

  1. Pile latkes onto a platter; serve hot with soured cream and apple sauce.

Notes

  • Wring the potato bone-dry: This is the most important step. Wet mixture gives soggy, greasy latkes that won't crisp.
  • Fry hot, but not smoking: Too cool and they absorb oil; too hot and they burn before cooking through. Medium-high; adjust between batches.
  • Eat fresh: Latkes lose their crisp within minutes. The cook should fry while everyone else is sitting down.

Storage

  • Best eaten right away. Reheat at 200°C for 6 minutes in a single layer to restore the crisp.
  • Freeze cooked latkes 1 month; reheat from frozen at 200°C for 12 minutes.

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