Potato Latkes
To me December is a month for traditions. Most countries around the world celebrate their culture with music, food, decorations and events. In Hebrew culture, there’s a popular Jewish holiday that takes place called Hanukkah also known as the Festival of Lights!
Like many cultures, there are special events occurring during Hanukkah like lighting the candles of a menorah. Besides playing the game of dreidel, there are certain foods made for the occasion like sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), bimuelos (fritters) and my favorite… Potato Latkes!
These potato pancakes are incredibly tasty! They have such great flavor and pair so well with Apple Sauce, crème fraiche or sour cream. I also like to serve these Potato Latkes along with smoked salmon and dill or even salmon roe… absolutely amazing!
They are made with matzo meal with onions and typically fried in chicken schmaltz which is rendered chicken fat. I’m sure I can get this ingredient somewhere in my neighborhood but I’ve been frying mine in oil with duck fat for as long as I can remember. Another important thing for this recipe is the potatoes. I only use russets because they are high in starch. As we need a crispy texture, baking potatoes have a dry, mealy flesh perfect for this dish.
When it comes to kitchen tools, I use my food processor instead of a box grater. It’s faster and much easier than doing it by hand. When I process the potatoes, I like to alternate with pieces of onion. The juice from the onion will prevent the potatoes from browning. To portion them out the same size so they can cook equally, I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup and then flatten them down to about 1/2-inch thick. When it’s time to fry the latkes, I use a cast iron pan because they retain the heat and distribute it evenly.
This season go ahead and try something new from another culture with these Potato Latkes. You’ll be surprised how flavorful they are and I’m positive they will become a “new” family Holiday tradition…
Bon Appétit!
Check out these incredible Holiday recipes…
– Tourtière • Meat Pie
– Holiday Turkey
– Stuffed Dates with Gorgonzola
– Mediterranean Leg of Lamb
– Squash à la Canadienne
– Mistletoe Kiss
– Christmas Stollen
and for even more festive recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Holidays & Events
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Potato Latkes
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Ingredients
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise
- 1/2 large red onion, peeled and cut into medium pieces
- 2 large free-run eggs, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup matzo meal (substitute bread crumbs)
- 2 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley tips & tricks
- 1 1/2 cups canola oil, or more for frying (substitute grapeseed or peanut oil) tips & tricks
- 1/2 cup duck fat, or more for frying
Directions
- Grate potatoes and onions alternately using a box grater or a food processor with the shredding disk.
- Transfer the mixture onto a thin, clean dish towel; gather the corners and holding it over a large bowl; squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
- Don’t discard the liquid yet and let it sit for 2 minutes to let the starch settle to the bottom. A couple minutes later, discard the liquid but keep the starch deposit.
- Transfer the potato mixture to a bowl and add beaten eggs, matzo meal, flour, salt, freshly ground black pepper and parsley. Stir until well combined and set aside.
- In a large cast iron pan over medium-high, heat oil and duck fat until it reaches 350ºF.
- Meanwhile, using a ¼ cup measuring cup, portion the potato mixture and flatten them down to about ½-inch thick.
- When the oil reaches the right temperature, gently add the latkes making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry them until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side flipping them carefully.
- When cooked, transfer them to a wire rack sitting on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. If making a large batch, keep latkes in the oven at 170ºF.
- Serve with apple sauce and crème fraîche
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