Classic Potato Latkes

 

Classic Potato Latkes

I grew up in a very diverse town in New York filled with war veterans. One Veteran was married to an amazing cook, Mrs. Cohen who taught me a variety of Jewish cultural dishes, Potato Latkes was one of them. First time she made them for me I was hooked. So what are potato latkes you might ask, simple combination of shredded potatoes, onions, and matzo meal with schmaltz or vegetable oil for a mouthwatering treat.

Perfect for celebrating a special holiday. Try them and you’ll be hooked too.

Servings: 24 servings

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds potatoes (I prefer Yukon Gold)

1 large onion, shredded

3/4 cup matzo meal or breadcrumbs

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon potato starch, or more if needed

1 1/4 teaspoons salt, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Oil for frying about 1 1/2 cups - choose an oil with a high smoke point (Do not use Avocado Oil) I use Virgin Olive Oil or Crisco for all my frying needs)

1/4 cup schmaltz (better known as chicken or Duck fat)

Equipment you’ll need:  hand grater or food processor with shredding disc attachment with choice of large holes or fine holes, clean tea towel or layers of cheesecloth, skillet or electric skillet for frying, colander, large mixing bowl, medium bowl, metal spatula, wire cooling rack

Note: I add dry potato starch to the potato mix, which helps these latkes to hold together and create a lighter, fluffier texture. The latkes can be made without it, but they may not hold together as well when frying.

If you're serving latkes with dairy sour cream and want to keep things kosher, do not add the optional schmaltz to the frying oil, or choose a non-dairy sour cream.

Instructions

Before you begin making the latkes, place your wire cooling rack close to the area where you will be frying the latkes. Place a layer of paper towels below the cooling rack to catch excess oil. 

Cut the potatoes into large chunks and shred them using a hand grater or food processor shredding attachment with large holes (large shreds). I really recommend using the food processor, it saves a ton of time and will help you avoid tears when grating the onion.

Place grated potato into a bowl and immediately cover with cold water.

Meanwhile, grate the onion using the grater or food processor attachment with fine holes (small shreds).

Drain the potato shreds in a colander. Rinse and dry the bowl used to soak the shreds and set aside.

Place drained potato shreds and grated onion in the center of a clean tea towel or multiple layers of cheesecloth.

Wrap the shreds up in the cloth, twisting the cloth to secure the bundle, and squeeze firmly to remove excess liquid from the shreds.

Pour potato and onion into the clean dry bowl. Stir the shreds with a fork to make sure the grated onion is evenly mixed throughout the potato shreds.

In a skillet, add oil to reach a depth of 1/8 inch. If using schmaltz, add 1/4 cup to the oil. The schmaltz will add savory flavor to the latkes. Heat slowly over medium to about 365 degrees F. 

While oil is heating, use the fork to stir the matzo meal, beaten eggs, potato starch, salt, and pepper into the potato and onion shreds. Add salt and pepper to taste; I add about 1 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. You can sprinkle on more salt to taste after cooking if desired. Take care to make sure the egg and seasonings are fully mixed throughout the potato shreds.

Scoop up 3 tbsp of the potato mixture and shape it into a tightly compacted disk.

Place the disk carefully into the hot oil. Latkes can break apart at this point, they’re very delicate. If you can get them into the hot oil in one piece, they will likely stick together – frying them is like the “glue” that holds them together. It takes a gentle touch, and it may take you some practice to get the “feel” for it.

The oil should sizzle, but not pop when the latke hits it; if the oil jumps wildly or smokes, it is too hot. If it only bubbles weakly, the oil is not hot enough. Use the first latke to test the oil temperature, and don’t fry a whole batch until the temperature is right.

Continue shaping the latkes in this way, using 3 tablespoons of potato mixture for each latke. Fry in batches of 4-5 latkes at a time (no more than that – don’t crowd the pan) for 2-3 minutes per side until brown and crispy. 

Remove the latkes from the pan using a metal spatula and place them on the wire cooling rack to drain.

I recommend serving latkes fresh within 10 minutes of frying them, if your cooking schedule permits. If you need to make them ahead, fry them 2 hours or less before serving. You can also freeze them if you're not serving them right away.

To Reheat Latkes: Place them on an ungreased, unlined cookie sheet. To reheat from room temperature, place in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes (7 if using a convection oven), until heated through, just prior to serving. From frozen, it can take 15-25 minutes to reheat. Sprinkle with more salt, if desired, and serve latkes with applesauce and/or sour cream (or dairy free sour cream).

Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years of experience in writing with 12 of those years in the online content sphere. Author of 5 books and a Graduate with an Associate of Arts from Phoenix University in Business Management, then a degree. Mass Communication and Cyber Analysis from Phoenix University, then on to Walden University for her master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology. Her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist in her spare time, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pen and ink, Gouche, and pastels. As a political operative having worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 6 blogs that range from art to life coaching, to food, to writing, and opinion or history pieces each week.