Classic Potato Latkes Recipes

CLASSIC POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Grate potatoes, then onion using large holes of box grater; place in center of large clean kitchen towel. Bring up ends of towel and twist together to form pouch. Hold pouch over sink, then squeeze to remove as much moisture from vegetables as possible. Empty vegetable mixture into large bowl. Add eggs, flour and pepper; mix well.
• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. For each latke, carefully drop 1/4 cup potato mixture into skillet, cooking 6 latkes at a time. Press with back of spatula to flatten. Cook 3 to 4 min. on each side or until golden brown on both sides. Remove latkes from skillet; drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining oil and potato mixture.
• Serve warm topped with remaining ingredients.

CLASSIC LATKES

Steps:

• Grate the potatoes and onion on the large holes of a box grater into a colander set over a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, toss well and let stand 5 minutes. Squeeze handfuls of the mixture firmly with your hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Blot dry with paper towels, then transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the beaten egg and matzo meal or flour to the potato mixture and toss well to combine. Scoop 1/4 cupfuls of the mixture and tightly pack into thin 3- to 4-inch pancakes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
• Preheat the oven to 250˚. Heat 1/4 inch vegetable oil or chicken fat in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in three batches, fry the latkes until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side, reducing the heat as needed if the latkes are browning too quickly. Remove to a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Keep warm in the oven while you make the remaining latkes. Serve with applesauce and/or sour cream.

POTATO LATKES I

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a cheesecloth and wring, extracting as much moisture as possible.
• In a medium bowl stir the potatoes, onion, eggs, flour and salt together.
• In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot. Place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick patties. Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. Serve hot!

CHEF JOHN'S CLASSIC POTATO PANCAKES

Steps:

• Place potatoes and onion into a large bowl and pour enough cold water in the bowl to cover by several inches. Let rest until potatoes and onion are completely soaked, 20 to 30 minutes. Pour potato mixture into a colander, rinse, drain, and squeeze repeatedly to remove all moisture.
• Whisk eggs, flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl until smooth.
• Mix potato mixture and egg mixture together in a large bowl with a spatula.
• Heat 1/4-inch oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, drop large spoonfuls of potato batter into hot oil and flatten with a spatula to about 1/2-inch thick. Cook until the edges of pancakes are golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, flip pancakes, and cook until golden brown and crispy on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Repeat cooking process with remaining batter.

CLASSIC POTATO PANCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°F. Place 2 nonstick baking sheets in oven.
• Using box grater or food processor fitted with grating disc, coarsely grate onion and place in colander set in sink. Coarsely grate potatoes, add to colander, and set aside to drain.
• In large mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs, then whisk in flour.
• Press potatoes and onion to extract as much liquid as possible, then add to egg/flour mixture. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using wooden spoon or hands, mix well, but do not overwork.
• In heavy-bottomed, 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter until hot but not smoking. Drop 4 scant 1/4-cup portions of potato mixture into pan and flatten with spatula to form four 3-inch pancakes.
• Fry until bottoms are golden-brown, 4 to 5 minutes, then turn over and fry until golden-brown and crisp, an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain; season immediately with salt and pepper. Keep warm on baking sheets in oven while making remaining pancakes.
• Using paper towels, carefully wipe out pan. Add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter and fry 4 more pancakes. Repeat with remaining batter, wiping out pan and adding 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter before each batch.
• Serve pancakes hot with applesauce and/or sour cream.

CLASSIC POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Using a food processor with a coarse grating disc, grate the potatoes and onion. Transfer the mixture to a clean dishtowel and squeeze and wring out as much of the liquid as possible.
• Working quickly, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the eggs, flour, salt, baking powder and pepper, and mix until the flour is absorbed.
• In a medium heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, pour in about 1/4 inch of the oil. Once the oil is hot (a drop of batter placed in the pan should sizzle), use a heaping tablespoon to drop the batter into the hot pan, cooking in batches. Use a spatula to flatten and shape the drops into discs. When the edges of the latkes are brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, flip. Cook until the second side is deeply browned, about another 5 minutes. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt while still warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.

CLASSIC POTATO LATKES RECIPE

Steps:

• Grate the potatoes on the medium or fine side of a grater and place in a fine wire-mesh strainer suspended over a bowl. Grate the onion on the medium side of the grater and place in a separate strainer. Let both stand 10 minutes to drain. Press down gently to extract as much moisture as possible.
• Transfer the potatoes to a bowl, add the grated onion, beaten eggs and seasonings, and mix well. Fold in the matzo meal. Let stand for 10 minutes, while heating one-fourth cup oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
• Scoop up one heaping tablespoon of the mixture and place it in the hot oil. Press down gently with the back of a spoon to flatten and form the latke. Repeat to form 4 to 5 latkes, depending on the size of pan, leaving space between them to facilitate turning.
• Fry on medium heat until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat until all of the latkes are cooked, adding additional oil as necessary for frying. Serve warm.

CLASSIC POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat together two eggs and then add the onion.
• Grate the potatoes using the largest holes of a box grater and place the shreds in a colander.
• Pick up a handful of shredded potato and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
• Then add the drained shreds to the bowl with the egg and onion.
• Repeat this process until you have squeezed all the potato shreds and added them to the bowl.
• Season well with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
• Meanwhile, pour a thin layer of canola or vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet and heat over high heat until shimmering.
• You're aiming for 360 to 375 degrees.
• Scoop a 1/4 cup of the batter and form it into a patty.
• Gently place the patty in the skillet and flatten it with a spatula.
• You can fry up to three latkes at a time but don't overcrowd the skillet.
• Fry until brown and crisp on bottom, about two minutes, and then flip.
• Remove when the the other side is brown and crisp.
• Place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
• You may need to lower the heat if your latkes are burning.
• You may also need to add more oil.
• If the oil becomes very dark and there are many burnt pieces in the pan, it can make your latkes bitter.
• Pour out the oil into a heatproof container and add fresh oil.
• Allow new oil to become hot before continuing.
• You can keep the latkes warm in a 250 degree oven while you finish frying the batter.
• Serve immediately once all the batter is cooked.
• Serve with applesauce and sour cream.

CLASSIC CRISPY POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Peel and grate the onion and potatoes, and place into a colander with a bowl underneath. Pro Tip: Peel and grate the onion first; the potato will oxidize the longer it is exposed to air.
• Press and squeeze all the moisture you possibly can from the onion and potato mixture and let the moisture fall into the bowl. Use a clean dish towel to wring out the potatoes and onion if necessary. This will take several minutes, but is the most important part of the recipe.
• In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, salt, pepper, and scallions. Add the grated potato and onion and toss to coat. Gently drain the liquid from the colander bowl. There should be a layer of gluey potato starch settled on the bottom. Add that to the potato and onions and stir.Pro Tip: Once added, the salt will pull even more moisture from the potatoes and onion. Drain again as necessary. Also, if you didn't get a lot of potato starch, don't worry. The latkes will still hold together.
• Heat a griddle or cast-iron pan over medium heat and coat with a thin layer of vegetable oil.
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture into the skillet, and flatten thin. Fry for a few minutes until golden. Flip with a spatula and cook on the other side until golden and crisp.
• Drain on a paper-towel lined dish. Keep warm in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.
• Serve with sour cream or chunky, homemade applesauce, with some additional scallions for garnish.

CLASSIC POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• 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 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 more 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 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, chances are they will 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).

CLASSIC POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Using a box grater, coarsely grate the potatoes and onion. Transfer to a bowl lined with cheesecloth or a thin dish towel and wring the cloth to squeeze out any liquid into the bowl. Set this bowl aside to sit for 5 minutes, then discard the liquid, revealing a layer of white potato starch that will be stuck to the bottom of the bowl.
• To this bowl, add the squeezed potatoes and onion, matzo meal, salt and eggs, then mix to combine.
• Heat ¼ inch of vegetable oil in a cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, scoop ⅓ cup balls of the mixture and drop in the pan. Using a spatula, smash the latkes to flatten. Cook, flipping once, until golden, 2-3 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat until all the latkes are fried, adding more oil as needed.
• Transfer latkes to a platter and serve with applesauce and sour cream.

CLASSIC POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Coarsley grate the potatoes and onion into a large bowl, or use a food processor with a coarse grating blade. Leave the mixture to rest for about 15 mins so the liquid releases from the onions and potatoes. Carefully drain off the liquid for about 30 mins until the mixture is dry, then put in a cheese cloth and squeeze out the remaining liquid.
• Add the eggs, flour, 1 tsp sea salt and pepper, and mix well. Pour the oil into the pan so that it is 2-3cm deep. Set over a medium heat for a few minutes until it ripples.
• Carefully spoon in the mixture to the size you want - 2 tbsp for large latkes or 1 tbsp for small. Fry them in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, and cook on each side until browned for 2 mins. Remove to a plate lined with kitchen paper, then season with a sprinkling of salt. Serve with the soured cream and smoked salmon, finished with a sprinkling of chives, or just apple sauce - both are traditional.

CLASSIC POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Add the onions to a food processor and process with the standard blade until smooth. Add the eggs and process until light in color. Add the golden consomme and white pepper and blend on high until you have an even mush with no pieces of onion visible. Transfer the onion mush to a mixing bowl.
• Peel the potatoes and cut a third of them into quarters. Put the quartered potatoes in the food processor and blend until an even mush is achieved. Add the potato mush to the mixing bowl.
• This is a good time to start heating your frying pan(s) on very low heat with NO OIL!
• Switch to the food processor shredding disc and shred the remaining potatoes in batches if necessary. Before you add the shredded potatoes to the mixing bowl, take the potatoes by the handful and squeeze out as much water as possible over the sink. Add the squeezed potatoes to the mixing bowl--breaking them apart as you add them--and mix them in after every 2 to 3 handfuls. This will help evenly incorporate the mush and shreds for a consistent batter that is seasoned evenly as well. Use your strong spoon! Add 3/4 cup flour and mix; the batter is the right consistency when you don't see a lot of water collecting across the top. Add more flour a bit at a time, just enough to not have a watery mix.
• Turn the pan(s) up to medium-high or high heat (for a heavier pan). When a drop of water in the pan sizzles and pops, the pan is hot enough to add about 3/4 inch of oil. Heat the oil to between 375 and 400 degrees F.
• Before you start a big batch, make a few "tester latkes" to taste so you can adjust the seasoning. How many you make will depend on how many "experts" you have hanging around waiting for a "tester."
• Know the size of latke you want to make. I make larger ones if they are part of a meal and smaller ones if they are being served as an appetizer or being sent to school for a holiday party. Smaller ones should be about 1 tablespoon and larger ones should be about a serving spoon of batter.
• Think to yourself "thin and crispy" while you spoon the batter into the pan and flatten. Don't crowd the pan. The shredded edges may touch, but that's ok.
• Cook the latkes until the bottoms are golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes on the first side. You can't rush perfection--the middle has to cook. Don't make the heat so high that the outside burns but the middle is uncooked. Put on your favorite music or have someone you love keep you company!
• Flip when the bottoms are golden brown. Flipping tip: Putting a spatula under the latke using your dominant hand and a fork on top of the latke with your other hand will give you a controlled flip that won't splash you with oil. Cook on the second side until the bottoms are golden brown, another 3 to 4 minutes.
• Line a baking dish with paper towels. Place the cooked latkes on the lined baking dish on their sides (like a tray of Oreos); this will let the oil drain and keep them from getting soggy. If you have a lot of counter space, feel free to use a wire rack and then stack sideways. Foods cooked in oil are a part of the Chanukah story.
• Mix the batter before each batch to keep everything well incorporated. Repeat and repeat and repeat and beware "experts" looking for more "testers." If you need to add more oil to the pans, do it between batches and give it a minute to heat up. The latkes can be kept in a low oven to keep warm or the baking dish can be put in the oven at 350 degrees F to heat from room temperature. Serve with sour cream and chives or homemade applesauce.
• B'tayavon (Bon Appetit).

CLASSIC POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Place 2 baking sheets in oven. Line large bowl with towel. Finely grind potatoes and onion in processor (do not puree). Transfer to towel. Fold towel up around mixture; twist top, squeezing out all liquid into bowl. Let liquid stand 5 minutes. Pour off liquid, reserving any potato starch in bowl. Add potatoes to bowl. Mix in egg, flour, salt, pepper and baking powder.
• Heat 6 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, drop 1 heaping tablespoon batter per pancake into hot oil. Using back of spoon, spread to 2 1/2- to 3-inch rounds. Cook until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to baking sheets in oven. Repeat with remaining batter, spooning off any liquid from surface of batter and adding more oil to skillet by tablespoonfuls as necessary. Serve hot.