Classic Potato Latkes
Selma Brown Morrow is a freelance recipe developer, writer, and consultant to restaurants, TV celebrity chefs, and numerous publications.
Classic potato latkes are crisp on the outside and tender inside, traditionally served at Hanukkah but an outstanding treat any time of year. Here are some tips to make the very best classic potato latkes.
- Chop the onions for the latke batter into .6-.8 cm (¼- to 1/3-inch) pieces. The small pieces cook through quickly.
- Grinding half of the onions with the potatoes helps to keep the potatoes white.Squeezing out excess liquid results in crisper latkes. Squeeze the potatoes in a smooth kitchen towel, as the potato mixture can get caught in a textured towel. An old pillow case could work too.
- Coat the inside of the skillet (even if it is nonstick) with non stick spray to make cleanup easier. It also insures that the latkes will easily move around in the pan.Cooking latkes over medium heat will take the latkes longer to cook through, allowing the outsides to develop a deeper color and more ‘crispiness.’
- Use your spatula to flatten the batter to about a 6-8 cm (2½- to 3-inches) diameter, a bit less than 1.3 cm (½-inch) thick.
- Once the edges brown, the bottom should be set so you can gently
lift an edge to check the color without breaking the latkes.
- Servings Makes about 18
Ingredients
- 591 ml (2 1/2 cups) finely chopped onions, divided
- 1 large egg
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) all-purpose flour
- 6.3 ml (1 1/4 teaspoons) Morton's* coarse kosher salt
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) baking powder
- 1.3 ml (1/4 teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper
- .9 kg (2 pounds) russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1.9 cm (3/4-inch) cubes
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
**Morton’s salt with 480mg sodium per ¼ teaspoon is almost twice as salty as Diamond Crystal. If you want to use another brand, look for the equivalent sodium content.
Preparation
- Line colander with a smooth kitchen towel. Stir 296 ml (1 1/4 cups) of the onions, egg, flour, salt, baking powder, and pepper in large bowl to blend.
2. Place remaining 296 ml (1 1/4 cups) onions in processor; add potatoes. Blend until potatoes are very finely chopped and mixture is almost a puree (some liquid is forming). Scrape potato mixture into towel in colander. Wrap towel around potatoes and squeeze out as much liquid as possible (at least 1 generous cup). Scrape dry potatoes into egg mixture. Stir until batter begins to moisten and stick together.
3. Latkes can be served right away or made up to a day ahead.* To serve the latkes right away, preheat the oven to 163°C (325°F). Heat 60 ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Drop potato mixture by scant 1/4 cupfuls into skillet; flatten each latke into a 6.4-8 cm (2 1/2-to 3-inch) round. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to large rimmed baking sheet. Repeat, adding more oil to skillet as needed. Don’t worry if the latkes don’t cook to the right color or crispness in the time stated. Skillets, stoves, and other conditions vary. Just keep cooking and turning them, until they are right for you. Place latkes on a baking sheet as they come out of the skillet and keep them warm in the oven until serving.
*Latkes can be made 2 hours ahead and allowed to stand at room temperature. To make 1 day ahead, place cooked latkes on baking sheets and refrigerate. When ready to serve, preheat oven to 218°C (425°F). Bake latkes until crisp and deep brown, 5 to 6 minutes per side.
Selma Brown Morrow
Selma Brown Morrow, a food editor at Bon Appétit Magazine for 25 years and cookbook author, is a freelance tester and recipe developer for TV celebrity chefs, restaurants, and numerous publications. She can be reached at [email protected].
Courtesy photo
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