Crispy, Golden Potato Latkes
Latkes are delicate, crispy potato pancakes that are traditionally served at Hanukkah.
Hanukkah, the Jewish “Festival of Lights,” is celebrated every year in December. It commemorates the time when a small guerrilla army of Jews defeated the Syrian king Antiochus IV (c. 215-164 B.C.), who had taken over Jerusalem, filled the Jewish temple with Syrian idols, and tried to destroy Judaism.
After the Jews, led by Judas Maccabee, recaptured Jerusalem, they reclaimed their temple. When they wanted to light their holy lamps, they found only one vial of oil. That this small amount of oil kept the lamps burning for eight days was declared a miracle.
During the eight days of Hanukkah, Jews light candles in a menorah, exchange gifts, and eat foods fried in oil – especially potato pancakes (latkes) and jelly donuts (sufganiyot).
Latkes can be heavy, soggy and bland, or they can be light, crispy pieces of heaven. It all depends on whether you follow the secrets to making perfect latkes.
There are only two secrets to making perfect potato latkes:
1. Serve them immediately after cooking – never attempt to make them in advance and reheat because it just won’t be the same.
2. Extract as much liquid from the potatoes as you possibly can prior to frying and cook them in hot oil. This is the only way to get latkes that are golden and crisp on the outside, tender and chewy on the inside.
Latkes Recipe: Ingredients
2 pounds (about 1 kilogram) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and finely shredded. You can shred them in a food processor, or just grate them by hand. They need to be finely shredded. Don’t use frozen hash brown potatoes for this – I tried and it doesn’t work. You need potatoes that are grated more finely than hash brown potatoes and you need fresh potatoes.
1 large onion, finely shredded in a food processor and drained (place it in a colander over a large bowl after shredding).
2 eggs, lightly beaten and mixed with 1 teaspoon salt, about half a teaspoon garlic powder and about a quarter teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Latkes Recipe: Instructions
Warm oven to 200 degrees F.
Place the grated potatoes in a colander. Drain and squeeze them as dry as you can by pressing them with your hands. The more liquid you remove, the crispier the pancakes will be, so as unglamorous as this task is, JUST DO IT.
Add the shredded, drained onion to the potatoes, still in the colander, mix with your hands and DRAIN SOME MORE.
Transfer the potato/onion mixture to a large bowl. Add the egg mixture and mix well with a fork.
Heat canola oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Some recipes say to use just 1/4 cup of oil per skillet, but I use quite a lot of oil – see in the photo below.
Spoon 2 tablespoons potato mixture per latke into skillet, pressing on them a little with fork to flatten. You can fry up to 8 latkes at a time. I fry in 2 skillets simultaneously – it cuts frying time in half and is totally doable.
Cook until undersides are browned, about 3-5 minutes. Turn latkes over and cook until the other side is browned, 3-5 more minutes.
Transfer to paper towels to drain. Keep prepared latkes warm, while you finish frying more batches, on a wire rack set in a shallow baking pan in a warm (200 degrees F) oven. Serve immediately. Some people like to eat their latkes with sour cream or with applesauce. I don’t get it, but to each his own I guess, so I do serve them to my guests accompanied by these condiments.
Recipe makes about 24 latkes.
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Michelle @ Find Your Balance responds:
Posted: November 24th, 2009 at 12:23 pm →
Mmmm delicious. There’s nothing quite like traditional holiday food. In my family, it’s lasagna. And for all my efforts at eating healthy, I did right in to that tray of lasagna and meatballs! I wonder if latkes are like meatballs – your own mother’s are always the best.
Cath Lawson responds:
Posted: November 24th, 2009 at 12:36 pm →
They sound nice. I thought they would be deep fried. Mind you, I don’t have a griddle either. Jerusalem is on my list of must see places.
Aydan responds:
Posted: November 24th, 2009 at 12:45 pm →
I’m not Jewish– in fact, I’m Protestant Christian– but I really like latkes! (Also hamantashen, but I believe those are for Purim.) I made them once for a holiday party, but as I had no kitchen equipment beyond a paring knife, I used a boxed mix (!!!) I’ll have to try this recipe sometime– it looks really easy.
My mom makes a different type of potato pancake that her mom made, from leftover mashed potatoes. This is also quite tasty,
RC - Rambling Along... responds:
Posted: November 24th, 2009 at 12:50 pm →
Is it okay that I’m a good Lutheran girl, but appreciate any religious holiday celebrating with “foods fried in oil?”
I’m joking (sort-of).
These sound delicious, as I’ve just discovered the delight of potato pancakes (yes, I’m German and Lutheran, but hated potato pancakes until the last couple of years). These sound like the ultimate in potato pancakes, and I’d love to try them. Must share this recipe with my Mom and Hubby, since I am allergic to the kitchen.
Hayden Tompkins responds:
Posted: November 24th, 2009 at 1:49 pm →
How on earth could you possibly know about my deep, abiding love for potato latkes??? NOTHING compares to the melt-in-your-mouth latkes my best friend’s mom used to make. Melt. In your mouth. Thank you soooo much for this deliciousness!
P.S. This is EXACTLY why the internet was invented…to share the awesome!
Dr. J responds:
Posted: November 24th, 2009 at 3:16 pm →
LOL! Now there is a blast from the past!! For a while my parents owned a small deli. Lots of good stuff there! My mom would talk to the patrons, and my dad would work the board! As a surgeon he liked slicing stuff
I’m sure they would have been proud to serve your potato pancakes!!
Lawyer Mom responds:
Posted: November 24th, 2009 at 4:22 pm →
You’ve made me ravenous. I’d prefer ravishing, but I’ll settle for a good recipe.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: November 24th, 2009 at 5:35 pm →
Thanks everyone for your comments.
Michelle, latkes ARE a classic comfort food! I agree that we should indulge from time to time.
Cath, I grew up in Jerusalem. I never appreciated how special it was until I left – you tend to take familiar things for granted.
Aydan and RC, by all means, latkes can be enjoyed by anyone! I asked a friend yesterday if they were going to celebrate Thanksgiving – they are from Israel and this is such an American holiday, many immigrants don’t celebrate it. Her response? “If a holiday includes food, I celebrate it!”
Tanya responds:
Posted: November 24th, 2009 at 6:13 pm →
I usually shred the potatoes and onions together in a food processor (using shredder attachment). To squeeze water out of them, I put the shredded mixture on a kitchen towel, and then squeeze the towel as hard as I can. To me it’s easier than squeezzing them by hands (the towel will be permanently stained, so I keep a special towel just for that).
Also, I heard that latkes can be frozen. I have never done it, but I have reheated them the next day, and they still taste pretty good to me. Of course not as good as right from the stove, but still good.
Our family likes to eat them with smoked salmon (weird?)
Tracy responds:
Posted: November 24th, 2009 at 8:20 pm →
We do the same thing as Tanya for our eggroll filling only we use a clean, never been used for sleeping, cotton pillowcase. You can really twist and wring it!
I love potato pancakes with applesauce. Has to be the natural kind without added sweetener. My goodness, I accidentally bought a jar of standard, sweetened applesauce a few weeks ago and it’s amazing how much sugar they can pack in there. It was like eating candy.
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Davina responds:
Posted: November 24th, 2009 at 8:54 pm →
Vered, these look fantastic. I love a good potato pancake. Have had them with applesauce and sour cream too. Prefer the sour cream, and sometimes I chop a green onion and sprinkle it on top. Yummy!
Marelisa responds:
Posted: November 24th, 2009 at 10:27 pm →
Oooh, those look so good. Maybe this year I’ll have latkes along with my tamales for Christmas.
Rowe responds:
Posted: November 24th, 2009 at 10:33 pm →
Yum, they look delicious. Wish I could click on the photo and have them on a plate right now.
Dominique responds:
Posted: November 25th, 2009 at 1:55 am →
Oooo..they look so yummy.. really tempted to try them out as the recipe looks quite simple.
Dot responds:
Posted: November 25th, 2009 at 7:13 am →
You juggled two skillets AND a camera? Amazing! These look really tempting! Americans love fried food, so I’m surprised people feel they have to mention their religion as a possible obstacle. Good food is good food. Thanks for this!
Patricia responds:
Posted: November 25th, 2009 at 1:58 pm →
Oh yummy, yummy – one of my favorite memories….no fried any more, no potatoes any more…just a prayer and a hope!
May responds:
Posted: November 25th, 2009 at 2:47 pm →
Great.. I just drooled all over my laptop.
jannie funster responds:
Posted: November 25th, 2009 at 5:52 pm →
I live for light crispy pieces of heaven, and since I’ve lost about 7 lbs (I’m guessing, how my jeans fit) I could totally o.d. on those and not think twice. I think my whole family would love those. Ummmn.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: November 25th, 2009 at 6:34 pm →
Thanks again for your comments, everyone.
Using a towel or a pillowcase sounds interesting. Definitely easier than squeezing them with your bare hands in a colander. Might give it a try.
Dot, I agree – good food is good food!
janice responds:
Posted: November 26th, 2009 at 12:33 pm →
I like ‘borrowing’ good bits from other religions and festivals, so this is going to be my way of honouring Hanukkah. Thank you! In Scotland, we have potato fritters. They’re just very thinly sliced discs of potato dipped in batter and deep fried.
J.D. Meier responds:
Posted: November 29th, 2009 at 1:53 am →
You really lit up the latkes with perfect pics and great instructions to match.
Melinda | WAHM Biz Builder responds:
Posted: November 29th, 2009 at 8:31 pm →
Oh my gosh, I’d forgotten all about Latkes! My mother used to make these for us, she was given the recipe from a jewish friend. Freezing cold day here today, so guess what we’re having for dinner. Thanks for the delicious reminder!
Barbara Swafford responds:
Posted: November 30th, 2009 at 1:55 am →
Hi Vered,
These look absolutely delicious. Since I enjoy cooking from scratch, I’ll definitely be trying this recipe. Yum!
MommyNamedApril responds:
Posted: December 2nd, 2009 at 7:41 pm →
those look phenomenal. mmmmm
PFM responds:
Posted: December 7th, 2009 at 1:35 pm →
Latkes are the best! When the family gets together it’s one of a few foods everyone fights over. And you have to have apple sauce!