Mandy Patinkins Moms Potato Latkes Recipes

POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and grate them on a box grater. Wrap the grated potatoes in a kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Combine the potatoes in a bowl with the egg, flour, salt and pepper. Mix well.
• Melt the clarified butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Place a tablespoon of the potato mixture into the sizzling butter and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the pancakes over and cook for another 2 minutes, or until crisp on the outside and golden brown. Serve the pancakes hot from the skillet.

SWEET POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Put a wire rack on a baking sheet and place in the oven.
• Grate the onion on a box grater into a large bowl. Grate both potatoes into the same bowl, grating down the length of the potato to get long strands. Toss the potatoes with the onions as you work to keep them from discoloring. Put potato mixture in a clean dish towel and wring out excess liquid. Toss the latke mixture with the flour, salt, and cayenne. Stir in the egg.
• Heat a 1/4-inch oil in a large cast iron or other heavy skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, spoon about 1/4 cup of the latke mixture into the skillet, pressing lightly to form 3-inch pancakes. Take care not to overcrowd the pan. Cook, turning once, until just golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the rack in the oven while you cook the remaining batter.
• Serve the latkes topped with a small dollop of sour cream and horseradish. Garnish with a parsley leaf. Serve immediately.

POTATO PANCAKES (LATKES)

Steps:

• Grate potatoes and onion into a bowl or pulse in food processor. Drain any excess liquid, then add the eggs, matzo meal, salt and pepper.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon the mixture into hot oil forming small pancakes. Cook until underside is golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until other side is golden and potatoes are cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Serve hot with sour cream or applesauce.

CRISPY POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large mixing bowl with a clean dish towel. Position the box grater in the bowl and grate the potatoes and onion using the largest holes. Bundle the towel and wring out the excess water into the bowl. The more moisture you release, the crispier the latkes will be. Discard the liquid.
• Heat duck fat, schmaltz, or oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering (about 350 degrees F). Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix grated potatoes and onion with 2 eggs, flour, matzo meal, and salt until there's no visible flour. If the mixture seems dry and it's not holding together, add one more egg.
• Using your hands, form the latke mixture into golf ball-sized balls, then flatten slightly into thick pancakes. Gently place them one at a time into the oil, which should bubble around the latke but not burn the edges. Fill the pan with just enough latkes so they don't overcrowd the pan (you'll probably get about a half-batch in). Fry until golden on one side, 1-2 minutes. Flip and fry the other side until golden, 1-2 more minutes.
• Remove latkes to a wire rack fitted over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Finish cooking the inside by baking, 10-12 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with sour cream and applesauce.

MANDY PATINKIN'S MOM'S POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Peel potatoes and onion. (If not using immediately, place in cold water.) Grate with the shredding blade of food processor.
• Put grated potatoes in a large strainer and press out liquid. Pour cold water over the potatoes and press out liquid once more. Transfer to large mixing bowl. Add onions.
• Beat eggs and egg whites until thick. Add to potatoes and onions. Add flour or matzo meal, baking powder, and seasonings. Mix well.
• Heat oil in frying pan. When ready, drop batter by large soup spoonfuls to form oval shapes. Fry over moderate to high heat until brown on one side; turn to brown other side. Remove from frying pan and drain on paper towels.
• Serve with sour cream or applesauce.

LATKES

Steps:

• For the potato latkes: Place the grated potatoes in a large bowl or other food-safe container, fill it with water, and then strain. Repeat this rinsing process 2 or 3 times until the water runs clear, then drain the potatoes, squeezing out as much water as possible.
• Combine the rinsed potatoes and grated onion in a large bowl and mix them together with your hands. Add the matzo meal and mix together, then add the chives. Finally, add the eggs and massage them into the potato mixture until thoroughly incorporated. Add the salt and pepper and mix it in with your hands.
• Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches so that the latkes are not crowded in the skillet, take a golf ball-size portion of the potato mixture, flatten it between the palms of your hands, and add it to the skillet. Repeat.
• Cook the latkes until they're crisp and brown around the edges, about 3 minutes; then flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp and deep golden brown all over and still tender inside. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, adding a tablespoon or so of oil between batches.
• For the celery root-parsnip latkes: Follow the instructions for the potato version, substituting the celery root and parsnips for the potatoes (and skipping the rinsing step at the beginning) and substituting the parsley for the chives.
• For the butternut squash latkes: Cut the squash into chunks and pass them through the grating disk of a food processor. Then follow the instructions for the potato version, substituting the squash for the potatoes (and skipping the rinsing step at the beginning) and substituting the sage for the chives, and cooking the latkes slightly longer over slightly lower heat (about 4 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the second side over medium-low heat).
• You can reheat the latkes in a 450 degree F oven in 3 to 4 minutes.

POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Grate potatoes and onions on a large-hole grater. Splash with lemon juice and squeeze out excess water.
• Mix flour, milk, egg, baking powder, and nutmeg. Add to the potatoes and then add the melted butter.
• Heat some peanut oil in a skillet and fry until golden on one side. Flip, and cook the same way on the other.
• Serve with watercress, caviar, applesauce, and creme fraiche.
• **For Passover, omit the baking powder and replace the flour with matzo (ground into flour), which will make a slightly denser latke. Fry it slowly.

POTATO LATKES

Steps:

• Shred potatoes and onions together. Squeeze in a towel until dry. Add eggs, flour, and season to taste. Fry until golden brown. Serve with sour cream and apple sauce, if desired.