Crispy Classic Potato Latkes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best oil for latkes? ›

Fry in an oil with a high smoke point

Vegetable oil or canola oil is usually best, because of its high smoking point. Latkes were traditionally made with schmaltz, or chicken fat, so if you have access to it, you should certainly add it in, because it does contribute to the flavor.

The potato pancake is much simpler, with nothing but raw grated potatoes, egg, and all-purpose flour. The latke, on the other hand, adds baking powder, matzo meal, and even a splash of milk, according to Cooktoria. Surprisingly, the potato pancake has a longer preparation time due to the simplicity of its batter.

“Onions can help block oxidation by coating some of the potato cells” Don Odiorne VP of Foodservice said. That's why some cooks alternate adding potatoes and onion to the mixture rather than doing all the potatoes first.

Transfer latkes to a paper towel-lined cooling rack and immediately season with a sprinkle of Kosher salt. Repeat process with remaining latke mixture. Serve immediately or keep warm on baking sheets in an oven heated to 250F. Serve with homemade applesauce or sour cream.

Tart and fruity applesauce—unsweetened is best—cuts through the grease and lightens them right up, leaving you feeling perfectly satisfied, but not stuffed. Sure, sour cream is tart too, but since it's dairy, it can weigh down the latkes—adding unwanted heft to an already filling meal.

Your Latkes Fall Apart

Luckily, the fix for both of these problems is the same: add some more starch — ideally in the form of matzo meal — which will soak up that extra moisture and bind the ingredients together more tightly. Flour works too, but it sticks together and makes for denser latkes.

These potato pancakes (called latkes) are meant to symbolize the miracle of Hanukkah, when the oil of the menorah in the ransacked Second Temple of Jerusalem was able to stay aflame for eight days even though there was only enough oil for one day. The symbolism comes in the form of the oil in which latkes are fried.

Historically, Jews in Central and Southern Europe cooked kaese (cheese) latkes, and Jews in Eastern Europe made latkes from buckwheat or rye flour.

Applesauce and sour cream are the traditional accoutrements for latkes. Some load their potato pancakes up with both toppings, while others have strong feelings about one over the other. (I'm Team Applesauce, all the way.) However, this Hanukkah, don't feel constrained by these standard-bearers.

This process, which is called oxidation, happens because potatoes are a naturally starchy vegetable. And when exposed to oxygen, starches turn gray, brown, or even black. An oxidized potato is completely safe to eat. The process doesn't affect the flavor or texture of the vegetable.

Do latkes need to be refrigerated? ›

Never refrigerate latkes, it makes them mushy. – Latkes can be served with applesauce or sour cream, or both. Some folks top their latkes with smoked salmon or caviar. Often non-dairy sour cream is used to avoid mixing dairy and meat at a kosher meal.

Most important is the frying medium. It wasn't until I switched from a vegetable seed oil to a poultry fat — as my ancestors used — that the pancakes stopped being greasy.

Latkes also aren't hash browns. Hash browns are all about crispy, burnished crust, with just enough potato-y center to gain a third dimension and a little give. A latke's interior should be plump and slightly cakey, but yielding, with recognizably rustic strands of potato intertwined with onion.

There are a few ways around all this. First, you can do what I did and marry a man who will fry the latkes while you host the party. Or, you can grate the potatoes hours ahead and store them submerged in water in the refrigerator. Drain them well and make the batter up to two hours ahead.

Too many eggs and your pancakes are rubbery; too much flour or starch, and they're too dense. Some insist on using cooked potatoes, while others insist you can't. Today's recipe is my take on a middle-of-the-road potato pancake.

Considerations for oil selection

Smoke Point - Choosing oils with high smoke points prevents them from burning and imparting a bitter taste. Canola, vegetable, and grapeseed oils are excellent high smoke point options. Flavour profile - The flavour of the oil can significantly impact your pancakes.

On oil, sunflower and sunseed are very efficient, and many people swear by using groundnut oil. But, if you're after flavour, cooking chips in beef tallow (rendered beef fat you can get from your butcher) gives you better flavour and colour – the choice is yours.

Refined peanut oil is the best oil to use for making french fries. You can also use canola or safflower oil. Additionally, restaurant fries are so crispy because, among other things, they use old oil continuously.

Neutral, low-cost oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, corn oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc., work well for roasting. These oils have a high smoke point, allowing the potatoes to get very hot to achieve maximum crispiness.