potato latkes

November 19, 2021/

classic potato latkes? nothing better.

Latkes. HOW HAVE I NOT MADE YOU LATKES????

I’ll tell you how. But first, some background.

Much like doughnuts, latkes are one of the traditional foods-fried-in-oil served during Hanukkah. Over the years, as my circle grew – and who doesn’t love a latke? – so did the party, and I had to figure out some workarounds to manage what was amounting to hundreds of latkes to be made.

In the early years I would stand at the stove, frying up batch after batch and serving them right from the pan to my guests. But as the size of the crowd grew I needed to figure out a way to make the latkes in advance, without losing that “fresh from the pan” texture that is KEY. I came across a tip in (welp!) Gourmet that recommended draining the latkes, cooling and then freezing. They could then be quickly reheated in a hot oven, and tasted exactly the same as if they were served fresh.

This was a game changer, as it allowed me to get a big head start on the process.

The other concession I had to make was to forego my favorite way to make latkes – which is to hand grate the potatoes and onions on the large-hole side of a box grater. IMO this is the ONLY way to make latkes, as you get all those gorgeous crispy, shreddy pieces that are HEAVEN. This was how I learned to make latkes, and how I made them for years – eventually graduating to the shredding disc of my food processor, but always doing it the same way.

But once I was into the hundreds-of latkes-territory I had to streamline this as well – and began pureeing the potatoes and onions instead of shredding them. This created a latke that was still crispy on the outside, but more “mashed potato” on the interior – delicious, to be sure, but not quite the same.

And as for taking photos and documenting this whole process? Forget about it. Every year I swore THIS would be the year I did a proper recipe post, and then every year I’d say, “Nah”.

Enter 2020. And, apparently, 2021.

A tiny crowd means that I can return to my “shreddy” potatoes, AND take pictures!

So allow me to present the perfect latke – with all the tips I’ve acquired over decades of making them. Let me know if you try them, and tag me on Instagram @sherisilver if you do!

Potato Latkes (read through the entire recipe before you start, so you have everything you need at the ready!)

10 large potatoes, scrubbed
2 onions
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup flour, matzoh meal or a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour
salt and pepper
vegetable oil
sour cream, applesauce and sugar (my personal fave) to accompany

Fill a large bowl or pot with cold water. Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks – place in the water to keep from browning. Peel the onions and cut each into 8 or so wedges. Have a few tea towels and another large pot or bowl ready.

Using the large hole side of a box grater (or the shredding disc of your food processor), grate the potatoes, adding some onion with each batch (this will reduce browning somewhat). Place the grated vegetables into your reserved bowl.

Drain off any excess liquid and divide the mixture among your tea towels. Gather all the ends together and – working over your sink – twist the towel as hard as you can to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer back into the bowl, add the eggs, flour, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Using as many pans as you’re comfortable working with, heat 1 – 2″ of the oil over medium-high heat. When a bit of the potato sizzles when you add it to the oil, it’s ready. In the mean time set up stacks of brown paper bags topped with paper towels, for draining.

Drop small-medium mounds of the mixture into the hot oil, using a fork to lightly flatten (don’t overcrowd the pan). Cook till the very edges turn golden brown, and use two forks to turn and cook the other side. Transfer to your paper bags to drain and repeat with the remaining mixture. Serve immediately or cool, transfer to baking sheets (I like to use the disposable foil ones) and freeze.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the latkes for 5 minutes on each side – serve with accompaniments.

(print this recipe)

This delicious recipe brought to you by Sheri Silver
https://sherisilver.com/2021/11/19/potato-latkes/

About the author

Sheri Silver

Sheri Silver is a New York-based food photographer and recipe developer who has been cooking and baking for over 30 years. She works with brands, authors and restaurants to create recipes that are as beautiful as they are foolproof - and every recipe on this blog has been made, tweaked and eaten in her own kitchen.