Latkes

TIME1 hour MAKES10 latkes PORTION
0.5x 1x 2x 3x

A hanukkah staple, latkes are delicious almost any time of the year.

INGREDIENTS

  • 700g pounds potatoes (3 to 4 potatoes)1
  • 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp potato starch
  • 10g dill
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup oil
  • Applesauce and sour cream, for serving

STEPS

  1. Heat the oven and fit one baking sheet with paper towels and another with a cooling rack. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 100ºC. Line 1 rimmed baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels. Fit a wire cooling rack into another baking sheet. Set both aside.

  2. Peel the potatoes, then grate the potatoes and onion.

  3. Make a cheesecloth or teatowel tourniquet and squeeze liquid from potato and onion. Transfer the grated potato and onion onto a large triple layer of cheesecloth. Gather the corners and tie around the handle of a wooden spoon. Dangle the bundle over a large bowl, then twist and squeeze the potatoes and onion as hard as you can until no more liquid comes out of the potatoes and onion shreds.

  4. Add the potatoes, onion, egg, dill, potato starch, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Mix with your fingers, making sure that the potato starch breaks up and is evenly distributed with the rest of the ingredients. Set batter aside for 10 minutes.

  5. Heat the oil. Place the oil in a large frying pan to a depth of about 0.5-1cm. Heat over medium-high heat until a piece of the latke mixture sizzles immediately.

  6. Form latkes one at a time. Scoop 1/4 cup of the mixture onto a fish or flat spatula. Flatten with your fingers to a 4-inch patty.

  7. Fry the latkes until golden on both sides. Slide the latke into the hot oil, using a fork to nudge the latke into the pan. Repeat until the pan is full but the latkes aren’t crowded. Cook until deeply golden-brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side, adjusting the heat if necessary.

  8. Drain the latkes. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain for 2 minutes.

  9. Serve immediately with applesauce and sour cream, or transfer the latkes to the wire cooling rack set in the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes while you continue cooking the rest of the latkes.

NOTES

  • Make ahead: Latkes are best made and served right away. They can be fried and kept warm in a 200ºF oven for up to 30 minutes.

  • Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and recrisp in a 150ºC for 5 to 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on the latkes when reheating so they do not burn.

  1. Russets, which are high in starch and have a dry, mealy texture, work best since the dryness of the potato is partially responsible for creating a crispy texture. In Australia, I find that yellow potatoes are a good substitute. ↩︎