potato pancakes, even better
This year, after finally making peace with my cast frying pan (coincidentally, over an “apple latke”) I cooked them in there, and will use no other pan for them as long as I live. It is a browning genius, and even small amounts of oil resulted in no sticking whatsoever. I also realized that I found them a bit on the salty side — something I noted last year and entirely forgot in the 12 months since — I hope to remember that next year.
In an ongoing, obsessive effort to create latkes that look precisely like the flying spaghetti monster/tiny piles of rope mops, I again attempted to create the longest strands of potato possible by placing them sideways in the feed tube of the food processor — the food processor not only saves a ton of time, it creates coarser, more visible strands.
Next, I at last retired the sieve-pressing for a cheesecloth-squeezing. My goodness, I don’t know why it took me so long to realize that cheesecloth does a much better job (seriously, just twist tighter and tighter until the excess liquid is gone) and is ten thousand times easier to hand-wash, uh, because you don’t have to. The smallest square does the trick.
Finally, if you think that latkes are just for Hanukkah, with all due respect, you’re totally missing out. I have yet to see a better “bed” to rest your poached or fried egg upon; home fries, latkes distant, black sheep of a cousin, just weep with jealousy in their presence. And the fact that latkes are so easy to make in advance and reheat/recrisp in the oven means that they can be an especially schedule-forgiving brunch dish.
Or an appetizer. I can imagine these being great topped with anything from a garlicky aioli to an apple chutney, but as you can see, we chose to keep them in the “peasant food” mood with creme fraiche and caviar.
And with that, I’m off to reheat some leftovers. That I didn’t tell our families about when they were over last night. Because I’m nice, but apparently not that nice.
One year ago: A Slice-and-Bake Cookie Palette
Two years ago: Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti
Potato Pancakes [Latkes]
My formula is roughly this: a one-pound russet or baking potato to one small onion, a large egg, quarter-cup of flour, teaspoon of salt and a hefty pinch of black pepper. How many you yield has to do with how big you make them; I aim for small ones (approximately three inches across) and get about a dozen per batch.
But, if you’re not a formula person, here is a more official-like recipe:
1 large baking potato (1 pound), peeled
1 small onion (4 ounces), peeled
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Peanut oil, for frying
In a food processor or on a box grater, coarsely shred the potato and onion. For longer strands, lay the potato sideways in the chute of your food processor. Transfer to a colander or wrap in a cheesecloth sling, and squeeze as dry as possible. Let stand for 2 minutes, then squeeze dry again.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, egg, salt and pepper together. Stir in the potato onion mixture until all pieces are evenly coated.
In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until shimmering. Drop packed teaspoons of the potato mixture into the skillet and flatten them with the back of a spoon. Cook the latkes over moderately high heat until the edges are golden, about 1 1/2 minutes; flip and cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.
Do ahead: Latkes are a do-ahead-er’s dream. You can also keep latkes warm in the oven for an hour or more, if you’re waiting for stragglers to arrive. Cooked, they keep well in the fridge for a day or two, or in the freezer, well wrapped, for up to two weeks. Reheat them in a single layer on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven until they’re crisp again. Bonus: If you undercooked them a bit or didn’t get the browning on them you’d hoped for, you can compensate for this in the oven.
that looks delicious. I am inspired, and will make some..But explain how caviar is “peasant food”?
ripley: that’s the joke. :o)
I loooove latkes. As a catholic girl with a jewish boyfriend, I ask at every jewish holiday if that one is “latke time”. Glad to see that time for latkes has come again. :o)
So, have you seen the new Lemony Snicket Christmas (yes, Christmas) story? It’s called “The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming.” The illustrations are hysterical — you might get a kick out of it.
Happy Hanukah Deb to you and yours!
Happy Hanukkah! With caviar?? You fancy pants!
We always had APPLE SAUCE or SOUR CREAM!
My grandmother would be pleased!
Stacey Snacks
I came up with these when I was attempting to make hashed browned potatoes when I first started cooking. I could not get them to hold together like they do in a restaurant. I didn’t know it was just a pile of shredds and onions stuck together by frying until their own starch held them together. DUH! So..I just mixed a little pancake batter..without sugar and used it and called them Hash Browns. Until I kept running across latke recipes that were doing the very same thing I had “invented” for hashed browns..LOL! Mine are really good..just like a latke! Ok..so I’m calling them latkes now..alright?.
Oh…and I use my little julliene tool now to make the shredds. I like them bigger than a shredder cuts them too. It’s my new favorite gadget for the past year.
We too love latkes at our house. We had them for the first time a few years ago at Christmas dinner with baked cornish game hens. I like the “do ahead” factor. Potaotes are my favorite vegetabble and latkes are at the top of the potato list. YUM. Blessed Holiday to you.
There isn’t a huge Jewish community here in Adelaide, Australia, so unfortunately I’ve never had a latke in my life. Thanks for the recipe though — that’s about to change!
HAPPY HANUKAH DEB!
HAVE YOU EVER MADE SWEET POTATO LATKES? I BOUGHT SOME TODAY.OH I LOVE THE STACEY SNACKS IDEA. I WILL TRY THE SOUR CREAM AND APPLE SAUCE IDEA.THESE DEB, LOOK GREAT INSTEAD OF THE ONES MY MOTHER MADE WITH LEFT-OVER MASH POTATOES.
Yum! I love these. I’ve also made a potato pancake out of leftover mashed potatoes, but not very often since we rarely have leftover mashed potatoes! These are on the menu for tomorrow. Can’t wait. Thanks for the recipe and the great photos.
Happy Channukah!
I make latkes every year, even teach the children at our sunday school how to make them.
This entire time I’ve been frying them in 1-1 1/2 cups of oil, drenching them and never getting a really crispy Latke. I didn’t know you could do it with only a few tablespoons of oil.
Funny thing those Latkes. Anytime you make them for someone I find they always sing your praises with “wow these are great, You have to give me the recipe” (thats when I giggle thinking “what recipe?”)
this looks great! i usually don’t try any of your recipes because they are overwhelmingly complicated-looking and involve a lot of ingredients, many of which i don’t have, but they all look quite delicious!
these look much simpler so i think i’ll give them a try!
i also love the photography! i always take pictures of my cast iron pan, it seems to photograph quite well! i, too, have made peace with mine. :o)
YUM. that looks wonderful. i want to eat one RIGHT NOW. ugh.. too bad i can’t eat the pictures on my computer.
Oh, I love the recipes you post; they make my day. Now if only I could figure out how to really use my food processor, I’d be making some potato magic myself!
Here’s to a great eight days for you and yours! May you get much more than socks!
Are you familiar with the Benriner spiral vegetable slicer? You can create potato strands at least 2 feet long. It’s great! Look on Amazon.
BTW, those look yummy.
I’m Polish and potato pancakes are a staple in my family’s household. We always eat them with applesauce. The very thought of them is making my mouth water! I know what I’m making for dinner tomorrow. :)
looks so good. I love potato pancakses/latkes! We’re frying some stuff here too. Latkes, sufganiyot…
Ooh I’m totally with you on desiring long strands in my latkes. I will try this. As soon as I get a food processor. Do you recommend a certain size for all the cooking/baking you do? 9 cups enough? Or do I need to spring for 11 or 14?
I recently discovered the joy of lox on latkes. So tasty. I might just have to make a post-hanukkah batch.
As if the crispy first shot wasn’t enough the ones with the salmon roe really have my Pavlovian responses going!
Love the look of these – hadn’t thought to use the food processor like that (also love the references to the glorious spaghetti monster). Thanks for posting :)
I have a blog dedicated to cooking & cast iron. If you have questions ask away.
Happy Chanukah!
I might be a Southern girl, but I look forward to the first night of Chanukah, when I make latkes for whatever family happens to be around. I like using a grater box instead of my food processor – grating creates thinner strands which fry up crispier than shreds, in my opinion. I also prefer to use matzo meal instead of flour – it soaks up things better – but it proved to be hard to find this year.
We enjoyed them tonight, and I think I might just have to find an excuse to make them tomorrow night, too. A 20lb bag of russets counts as an excuse, right?
Using the cheesecloth is a great idea. My latkes never turn out quite as crispy as I want them to. I will definitely be using that idea! Happy Hanukah!
When I make latkes in a frying pan they always taste raw on the inside. I find I have much better luck baking them in a hot oven. What do you do so that they don’t taste like raw potato and flour?
I picked up a tip somewhere (maybe egullet?) of putting the ends of your grated onions in the fry oil while it’s heating, resulting in onion-scented oil (and a bit of spattering). i don’t know how appreciable the difference is, but it seems like a nice touch.
Happy Hanukkah, Deb!!
I always use matzo meal in my latkes. Have you found a difference between using flour vs matzo meal? I like the texture of the meal but just curious if you’d tried both.
If that’s the peasant version, I’m in. And I’m so glad that you and your cast iron pan are friends again. It’s a relationship worth cultivating.
Those look delicious!
Happy Channukah! I use the same recipe as you except I don’t peel the potatoes and this year I used two egg whites instead of a whole egg.(Hubby on Weight Watchers) LOL
mmm….latkes! Yours look perfect – nice and crisp.
Hi Deb, I know you don’t generally do posts about cookware, but I would LOVE to see a post at least partially devoted to the cast iron pan and your method for cooking in it with no sticking.
This is pretty much they way I’ve made them for years but your photos look great! Unfortunately we just had some mediocre latkes at a friend’s house (the potatoes were CHOPPED in a food processor; no strands! Can you imagine?) but I ate them anyway to be polite. Mark my words, I will be firing up the cast iron before the menorah is full of candles.
And the large salmon roe made me drool on my keyboard!
Curious how important your feel the peanut oil is? I try to use more heart healthy oils like olive or canola. I know it shouldn’t matter since it’s not exactly like latkes are healthy food….
love my cast iron skillet. only thing I use for latkes . . . and frankly, most everything else :-) We serve our latkes with applesauce for the first night since we have brisket for dinner, and the second night we serve them with creme fraiche (sp?) and homemade gravlax. I’m not a big fan of latke variations, but there is a curry version that is delicious – you add peas and curry to the latke batter and serve with cucumber raita and whatever chutney you like.
Wow! These look so wonderful. I think I’ll make up a batch for my dad. …maybe I’ll pick up a cast iron skillet first…
That’s the beauty of food – it spans (joins, even) folks of every religion and makes us appreciate enduring traditions. I bought a cast iron skillet this weekend (my first), in response to overwhelming kudos on this and other posts. I think the pan’s inaugural dish will be these latkes on New Year’s….
Oooh, I never considered fancying-up my latkes with creme fraiche and caviar. That looks delicious!
Pam — That sounds like so much fun.
Maggie — I just have the standard one and it’s good enough for most things — 7 cups, I think.
Charlotte — Pressing them flat helps them cook evenly; I only have trouble getting the insides to cook on thicker ones, personally. Also, if they’re browning too quickly, you might want to turn down the heat on the stove.
Ellen — This recipe originally had 1 tablespoon matzo meal in it, but I never have it around and never missed it when I skip it… so, yes, not much of one.
Sarah — The only trick is to have a well-seasoned frying pan. The best way to keep or get your cast iron seasoned is to avoid cooking acidic things it in and avoiding harsh scrubbing or using soap when washing it. When I finish using mine and it is dry, I rub it very lightly with a neutral oil and turn the heat up on high for a couple minutes then wipe out any excess once it is cooled. This creates a lightly reseasoned surface, and has been a dream come true in terms of keeping a nice dark sheen on the pan. Good luck!
Hi Deb. Happy Chanukah! We use Great Grandma’s Magical Grater. It’s a flat rectangle with square holes, resulting in more finely grated potatoes. (My husband and kids do the grating, or it would be food processor all the way, baby.) What kind of cheesecloth do you use, and where do you get it? My mom taught me to let the potato water sit for a few minutes, pour off the liquid and then add the starch back in. I’d love to try yours, but it’s hard with that Fiddler on the Roof song camped out in my brain.
Happy Hanukah Deb! Latkes are my favorite!
I was thinking if you wanted to get the longest potato strands possible, try putting one in one of those rotary apple peelers. You’d get yards long strands.
Mmmmmmm latkes. Would you believe I have not only not had any latkes, but didn’t even buy a menorah this year? Law school sucks the religion right out of your soul, I tell you (along with everything else). Six more months, six more months…
I prefer applesauce to sour cream with my latkes, but nice touch with the caviar! I swooned when I saw these latkes – you make them just the way I like them! Happy Hanukkah!
I’ve never seen potatoe pancakes that look like this! My family is from the East Coast of Canada. We do potato pancakes, but they’d likely frighten you! (They’re grey – yay chemistry!)
Coincidentally, a variation on your spaghetti monster lakes is also killer in a breakfast taco.
These look great! I love the idea of using a cast-iron pan to make the latkes — will have to try it this season. My family always makes latkes with just potatoes, egg, onion, salt and pepper — no flour or matzoh meal. They come out super crispy that way. Also, if you ever feel like going even less peasant, latkes fried in goose fat (or duck fat) are amazing!
Latkes, Latkes everywhere!
I love them but do the old fashioned method of grating them. Thankfully my brothers are a tremendous help-lots of people = lots of latkes!
Wishing you bright lights and crispy latkes!
Deb
I made my latkes with Yukon Golds this year, because that’s what was in my pantry and we were snowed in. I will never go back to russets. They were the best latkes ever. I use a flour sack dish towel for squeezing out the liquid and it works great.
i’ve read your website for about a year now and i constantly fall in love with the recipes and then read the ingredients and get sad… do you have ANY suggestions for a substitute for eggs in something like this – i’ve been able to sub other things for eggs in my baking but what’s a good sub for the stick-it-together, hold-to-it-ive-ness required for popato pancakes (or fish cakes!).
:)
#43 Mark – ooo, I love that idea, I’ve got one of those (still don’t have a food processor. Nor cable. Yeah, I’m one of those people. The so-far-behind-the-cultural-times-I-might-as-well-be-living-in-the-30′s. And yet I have an iPod Touch and I work in the the tech biz. Go figure.)
I love me some latkes we had them every year, even though I grew up in an Irish Catholic family. Go Figure! But I am an applesauce not a sour cream latke lover!
They look so delicious. You know, if you leave out the onion they are even better – crisper and browner. I never use onion. Learned from my Russian mother-in-law.
I used your original recipe last night for my first ever foray into latkes, and they were delicious! I completely agree with your tweaks, I also thought they could have used a wee bit less salt. Thanks for re-posting, I can’t wait to make them again!
I love latkes, but can only justify having a couple. I made some last night – red-skinned potatoes! My family loves other veggie latkes – carrots, parsnip, yams, zucchini. My favorite are yams with green onions. There is a Martha Stewart recipe for them, but I just used the combination as inspiration.
For us, though, Hanukkah is a time for Israeli homemade doughnuts!
Those look amazing. And that version topped with a poached egg is right up my alley. I will definately be making these for breakfast sooner than later.
I could quite possibly eat my computer screen, they look so good!!! And good bless the flying spaghetti monster! There could be no better way than to pay homage through food! What an excellent choice for a visual inspiration! :) Happy Hanukkah!
I come from an Italian Catholic family and my mom always made potato pancakes with applesauce. Whoever thought of pairing applesauce and latkes is a genius.
My dad’s mother passed away at a young age, when my dad was a teenager. I just made these at home – I’ve never made Latkes before – and my dad cried because they tasted EXACTLY like his childhood, and he never got to know the recipe.
Thanks, Deb, for the wonderful moment with my dad :D
Also, I used a medium non-stick Calphalon pan. The first batch weren’t so great, but after that, the pan stayed nice and hot and worked wonderfully.
Hi Deb from a long time lurker. You are truly one of my favorites – your recipes and witty commentary are a delight. I was taken a back with your link to the flying spaghetti monster site. I am surprised you would link to any site that mocks any religion. A link seems as if you are condoning and have accepted FSM “philosophy “.
Cast iron mantra: Hot pan, cold oil, hot pan, cold oil, hot pan, cold oil. Follow this rule and you will have a great cast iron experience. (DO NOT EVER do this with your non-stick. Non-stick must have something in the pan before heating.) If something is stuck on, just pour in a little water – 1 inch, and boil away and maybe scape with a metal spatula. Wait ’til the water and pan have cooled, then dump water in the sink. Again, BE SURE and heat the pan — until HOT, then pour in some cold oil and wipe until clean with paper towels. (Your paper towels may be black to start with. Just keep rubbing and adding oil and rubbing until the paper towel is a faint, light oily color.) Deb, your pan looks perfect.
If you don’t have cheesecloth, don’t worry. I’ve always used a clean flour sack towel — rinse out, shape the potato into a log and twist away like a big tootsie roll.
Oy vey, looking at your salmon roe brings back scary memories. Those things frightened me when I was a kid. I still haven’t tryed (tried?) them. Now black caviar, mmmmm.
Deb, you’ve given us so many gifts this past year. All your wonderful recipes, wit, photos. Many, many thanks. Happy Channukah to you and yours!
My mother use to make these – thanks for the “mum” memory !
I’m shredding as I type and drooling at the thought of the crunchy
outsides …..
mmmmm potato pancakes! My grandmother used to make these and serve them with applesauce, the perfect combination!
I’ve made these with potato only, didnt think of adding anything else. Sound awesome with the onion and then creme fraiche ontop.
Deb, any suggestions for controlling the lingering smell of latkes that seems to last for days? Every time we make them, the entire house smells for about a day. And I mean the whole house. I love latkes, but it gets a little excessive.
These look fantastic!!!
Those are so pretty! I was wondering before I read Maggie’s comment about lox on latkes if anyone ever does that instead of caviar. Now I know. I’ll put these on the list of things to try over the holiday.
made these last night and they turned out great. I never would have thought to use my iron skillet, but it worked beautifully. Thanks!
Oh wow, those look fantastic!! I love potato pancakes, but you’ve really taken it to the next level!
I’m new to the smitten kitchen but I have to tell you, everything I’ve seen so far makes me want to make it, these gorgeous latkes included. I’m an Irish Catholic girl with two Chinese kids and a part-Native American chef-husband. Needless to say we have some crazy mixed up food traditions in my house. I introduced the girls to latkes last year and they’re clamoring for them again so I’m going to try yours tonight (minus the caviar, sadly – my kids are adventurous eaters but I’m not wasting the really good stuff on the under 10 crowd). Happy Hannukah!
ooooh these look good. perfect with martha stewart’s all american meatloaf, which you should really make.
I am making latkes for a crowd in a few days. I have a poor ventilation system over my stove, so frying usually results in lots of smoke. My husband thinks I should try to precook the latkes in the oven and then fry them to crisp them up. Do you have any suggestions how to still get crisp latkes without a lot of smoke?
I have a suggestion to make: not only should you post these mouth watering pics, but you should send us all samples…:) Happy Hanukah and thanks for all of the great recipes.
I love potato pancakes for breakfast. They are the perfect alternative to hashbrowns.
Very solid recipe! I just made them too, though for my family we need 3/4 pound of potatoes per person. Your moderation is admirable (?) :).
Made a bunch this eve – wonderful! Didn’t have cheesecloth, so used a flour sack towel instead (straight into washing machine). I found the formula approach very freeing, as I could make more as needed (rather than having a bunch amount of batter turning colors as I fried the rest). Made a wonderful homemade applesauce to go with it. Thanks!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made them for my non-practicing Jewish husband on Christmas Eve. He’s the pickiest eater ever but he said they were excellent and ate ‘em all up. I was so proud, and I’m so grateful to you for this wonderful blog. Thank you.
I forgot to mention that once the potatoes are grated I use cheesecloth also to drain some of the liquid out of the potatoes, but not all of it.
Oh my God, I LOVE latkes! This is the first latkes recipe I find on a fooblog, I’ll try it as soon as maybe!
Thank you!
(lovely site, by the way)
Martha
Yum! Thanks for the tips; we’ve been trying recipes, with excellent results, since we found the site only a month or two ago.
We just made a variation using butternut squash instead of potato: Peel the squash, score lengthwise, and keep peeling (lengthwise again) to get long flat ribbons. Toss in some shredded (goat milk) cheddar and chopped sage for some added flavor. We served ours with a side of cranberries reduced in orange juice and honey.
Cheers!
Bless you, this post saved dinner last night!
My mother used to make these (similar to your recipe but using one of those really old-fashioned four-sided graters) and served with home made apple sauce and sour cream. I am so glad that they were mentioned as a dinner choice — they are a comfort food and so easy to prepare.
wow potato pancake i think imma go try and make it it look so yummy.!!!!
I’m allergic to nuts. Can I use olive oil instead of peanut oil?
Olive oil would taste great. My only concern about it is its lower smoking temperature, so you’ll want to watch out for that as the latkes are fried at a pretty high temperature.
I make these all the time, but I fry them in lard! (Guess that’s not very Jewish of me, but I think it’s a healthier fat anyway.)
Hey, I found no difference in potato pancakes with potato and onion shreds soaked in cold water and then drained first, and the way you do it. Why go to all that trouble. Thanks for that! But why bother buying cheesecloth when you can just use an OLD CLEAN TOWEL? Also I use canola oil. I bet peanut oil is good but canola is just fine. Hats off as usual, Deb. The caviar looks killer.
Not having a washer/dryer in our apartment, or buliding, our preference is to create less laundry. Plus, cheesecloth was made for tasks like this, it works beautifully and absorbs nothing.that said, in the absence of our laundry melodrama or cheesecloth an old towel works as well.
These are sooo good! I made them with applesauce for a light dinner last night…and my previously-skeptical boyfriend made off with a few of them and a squirt of ketchup while I was eating…and then came back for more later on! I love that the recipe is so easy I already memorized it, too!
Hey, I was looking for a potato pancake recipe and came across yours, which was nice b/c I like your site and have stopped by before…
Anyhoo, just wanted to let you know that if you own a salad spinner, it also does an awesome job of drying the shredded potato without too much effort.
Thanks for all your great posts!
Looks delicious. I must try this out.
I used red potatoes because I was reaaaaaaally hungry for some potato pancakes, and I used green onions and a wee bit of basil (on accident). Super tasty jum-jums!
I just tried these, and OMG are they yummy! I used my v-slicer to make the super-thin julienne (as fast as the food processor, and way easier to clean). And when they were done, I topped mine with sour cream and some prosciutto I had leftover.
My Oma used to make potato pancakes for us. I loved them! She once sent me on a train trip with a batch, warning me that the smell would have people coming out of the woodwork and dang it, she was right! If I had known potato pancakes could help me make friends!
We eat my Bubbe’s Latkes with homemade cranberry applesauce and sour cream, but they are really good with just cinnamon and sugar! My father and I are the latke team and every year we get together for every channukah and christmaskah dinner and make the latkes.
I did a taste test with russet potato pancakes and yukon gold potato pancakes.
yukon gold won hands down. They were crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle. Also no more grey batter…
I understands the cheesecloth method…but don’t you want the potato starch left at the bottom of the bowl after pressing the potato and onion water out?
these are in the oven right now. they are FANTASTIC! how do i know? we had to sneak a few before everyone arrived for dinner. thank you!
These are one of the first things I learned to cook MANY years ago. My Ma always made them on Fridays along with salmon patties and that’s how I have to have them. My Ma also served them with a side of cottage cheese. Again, that’s the way I have to have ‘em! Thanks to the food processor, I make them all the time. I’ll try the cheesecloth method next time.
My family was having burgers for lunch, and I suggested making latkes as a substitue for french fries (I can’t eat fried foods due to acid reflux). My sister objected because she “doesn’t like latkes” but my dad vetoed her veto so I made these. I noticed my sister eating more latkes than anyone else and when I asked her about it, she said, “These are much better than the other ones I had.” Before this I had never even eaten, much less made, latkes and I’m glad they turned out so well on the first try!
I’m from france and just want to say that i love your website.
In the ever-long debate of to peel or not to peel, this lazy cook is wondering how different the latkes taste without peeling?
Oh my *goodness* these were good and came together so quickly and easily even without a food processor (didn’t want to wake anyone before they were done).
I paired mine with a loosely adapted chili garlic hot sauce sauce from the Lee Bros new cookbook (p49-50) and a dab of sour cream. Yummmm.
I plan to make these tonight – have you ever tried russet/sweet potato blend?? I bought three types of potatoes today and thought I would try a mix.
I use red potatoes for my potato pancakes – I like the texture better.
I used my big KitchenAid ProLine food processor for a lot of things but a few months ago I purchased a few Kuhn Rikon hand shredders and slicers at Home Sense (your TJ MAXX in USA) for $10 each.
Here is the link
http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Quick-Julienne-Mandoline/dp/B000WFFGS4
They do the most amazing job of julienning and slicing. I pull them out to use much more often than the food processor. They rinse easily and quickly and make very quick work of potatoes for potato pancakes, carrots for salads or garnishes, etc. I even bought a set for one of my daughters who doesn’t have room for a food processor on her counter.
I made these tonight for my Hanukkah dinner, and they were delicious! I loved using the cheesecloth! Plus, I found that the potatoes didn’t really get brown from oxidation…Really easy and very crispy. I think I’ll be making some more tomorrow night to have with my leftover brisket! :)
I made these tonight for a hanukkah gathering. They were good. But not perfect, in my opinion. I think the flour in the batter made them a bit too dense and may have prevented them from getting as crispy as I had hoped. I think they would be delicious as you served them, Deb, with salmon caviar. But as a side dish (served with pan fried flounder and braised fennel) I wanted them to be a bit more crisp and less dense, more rosti-like. I would try this recipe again next time with less flour — maybe 1 tbs per potato.
These were great! Thank you!
Doing the Happy Food Dance… just tasted one while cooking up a batch for tomorrow, soooo good! Happy Holidays everyone!!
I made these for our Christmas dinner, and they were perfect, thank you!
These were great! I tripled the recipe and the onion flavor was a little too strong. I think I’ll halve the amount of onion in a large batch next time. I’ve always been too intimidated to make these, but they were surprisingly simple to make. I made them for my mom, who loves potato pancakes, and she liked them a lot. I served them with creme fraiche and my homemade apple sauce.
I’m a longtime fan of this blog but this is the first recipe I’ve tried — so good! Thank you for sharing, I still can’t believe you manage to keep the blog updated with so much else going on. I have a 16 month old and can’t get much done, usually. :)
Thank you for the tip that you added about re-heating these in the oven. My latkes came out a little undercooked, and once I popped them in for ten minutes or so, they were much crispier, like I hoped they would be!
Deb, Once again you’ve delivered a foolproof recipe that will enter heavy rotation in my kitchen. I made this recipe today and the latkes turned out so good! I really appreciate the simplicity of the instructions and now want to make all sorts of veggie pancakes!
I didn’t have any cheesecloth, but found a double layer of paper towels just as effective at wringing out all of the moisture.
Thanks for seeking out and sharing the very best recipes for all of the foods we crave!
Oh my gosh. I made these this morning half-asleep (I’m only awake now, after coffee) They turned out amazing. I’m Jewish, and I have been craving latkes since my grandmother passed. I’m happy to say these measured up perfectly.
Thank you so much!
I tried your recipe this week and it was so easy and delish! Pair it with matzah ball soup and you are good to go. Thanks for the great recipe and instructions!
My god, that looks amazing. I thought I was not hungry until I saw all those beautiful photos.
These look absolutely wonderful, and will be made in the very near future.
As for the great cheesecloth debate, my parents’ have long since trained me in a wonderful trick. Works for drying salad greens too. You just need a little space, which in an apartment I understand is at a premium.
Toss whatever needs drying into a clean old pillowcase. Give the open end a twist, and start swinging it around your head. It’ll be dry in no time. For those with kids, toss them into the backyard with it, just remind them they’re not meant for pillow fights!
Thanks so much for the recipe! I made these on Saturday AND Sunday morning for my family and we LOVED them. Like you said, the latkes made a perfect “bed” for resting fried eggs on. Yum! I also chopped some chives and sprinkled them on top to add some colour. Thanks :)
wow, just looking at those photos has made me really hungry
so good! made these as a quick side with some grilled chicken. since it’s just me and my roommate we have plenty of leftovers, but I think they will be perfect in the morning with eggs, as suggested :)
Had family ln for Thanksgiving and decided to do an early Chanukah celebration while they were all here. My daughter amd I made your simple but delicious recipe and everyone loved the results! Thanks for helping our family time be even more special!
I’ve noticed a lot of recipes call for baking powder which I’ve never put in my latkes and notice you don’t have either. Do you know what the baking powder does?
Sadly, I don’t have a cast iron skillet, at least not yet. Do you have any recommendations for those of us without one?
Susan — I actually might test this out today. I added it to the apple latkes I posted yesterday to lighten them up a little, but I’m not positive it made a difference. I might do a half-batch with and without, just to see. I’d use the heaviest skillet you have.
Last year I fried the latkes in my very large electric skillet. It was great! love the even temperature throughout.
Deb, you put peNt oil in the ingredients and put veggie oil in the directions, which one?
Peanut oil sorry for the spelling error
Sab — You can use either.
Once again a great and helpful recipe! I would’ve never thought of adding onion to these but it adds such a wonderful flavor. I will never go back to only using potato. As for the topping I used homemade applesauce. Fantastic! I referenced your recipe with a link in my post: http://thespiffycookie.com/2010/12/03/latkas/
I made these tonight and they are hands down the best latkes I have ever made and I’ve been making them as an adult for over 20 years. I used 4x the recipe and added 2 tsp of baking powder. I used canola oil, not peanut oil– in a heavy skillet, but not a cast iron skillet. I think the cheesecloth is the trick.
One other thing I did — when they came out of the pan, I put them on a cooling rack — what I use for cookies. The oil just dripped off. Underneath the cooling rack I had paper towels on a cookie sheet to soak up the mess.
Deb
My cast iron fry pan doesn’t seem to fry the latkas evenly. Any thoughts?
Many thanks
I made these yesterday- I thought if we made enough we could take them to his family’s house for Hanukkah, but instead we ate them all. It did make about a dozen with the size we made them (small~). We used canola instead of peanut. The only skillet at my boyfriend’s is teeny-tiny, so we used a saucepan and let me tell you, flipping the latkes was horrendous. Not sure if they were perfect, but I don’t think there’s a way to go wrong with potato+oil+heat.
Somewhat related- I made sufganiyot for the first time a few days ago. Have you ever made it? It’s delicious. Much better than buying donuts, and super easy, too.
I have never eaten or even seen latkes in the flesh before, but am looking for an alternative to frozen hash browns for Christmas brunch.
The thing is, I have a pathological aversion to pancakes (a long and gross story involving vomiting them back up!). So I am wondering if latkes are more like pancakes or more like a rosti? I am hoping the latter, and that is certainly what they look like!
Hi — Used this for my first ever attempt at making latkes. Worked out *really* well. Just one thing: the recipe says to portion the mix in packed teaspoons. I found that packed tablespoons worked much better for the size I was going for. Thought this might come in handy for the other newbies. Thanks for the recipe!
I made these for the first time tonight to celebrate the fifth night of Hanukkah. They turned out wonderfully. Anyone have suggestions on toppings? I know people do applesauce and sour cream, I can attest to how good they are with sriracha.
This and your family’s kugel recipe made for a nice meal, thank you.
sally — Is it because of the uneveness of the heat source underneath? Mine get darker in the center, lighter at the edges of the pan. I just juggle them around a lot, giving them rotations into the hotter parts when needed.
These were soooo delicious, I tried them last night for the first time. Thanks for a wonderful recipe. I also tried these at the weekend – best recipe I’ve ever sampled for this particular type of potato: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/401739_perfect-roast-potatoes-every-time
Aaah, so good! My first year making latkes (47 but who’s counting) and they went over very well – definitely going to be a mainstay for brunches from now on! Thanks Deb!
looks great and yummy
I made latkes for the first time yesterday – I’d never even eaten one before. They are super tasty and I can’t wait to try them one saturday morning for breakfast. I didn’t even peel the potatoes, just washed them well. Thanks for another great recipe.
Generally I love your recipes, but in latkes we disagree. These are indeed tasty, but I think this (and the apple latke) recipe is much too “cake-y” for my taste. For me, there should only be enough egg and flour to somewhat bind the potato and onion together while you spoon it onto the pan. So, for those folks who haven’t ever had latkes before it should be noted that these are much more like a cake and much less like a fritter than is traditional in my experience.
I just cooked some for me and my parents. We had them with generous chunks of steamed salmon, a malagueta & jabuticaba sauce and a salad for a very light evening snack. I had no trouble converting the ingredients, but I was afraid the batter was too dry and added another egg. It became runny and — quelle tristesse! — I had to double the recipe. I cooked them in a titanium skillet and skipped the oil so mine weren’t as golden and pretty as yours. I should probably have added some oil to the batter. As I am a terrible cook, I loved the simplicity and how it all turned out so well in the end.
Thank you very much Deb! I love your blog. Good luck with the book!
Oh Lordy, these are delish. I made them this evening when my parents came for dinner and served it with some baked sea bass and green salad from my garden. My father, notorious for his finicky eating, always leaves his favourite part of the meal until last, and sure enough there they were, the last thing remaining on his plate and then…gone! Thanks for the great recipe, as usual.
Those look amazing. The version topped having a poached egg is appropriate & up my alley. I’ll definitely make these in the morning earlier than later.
my husbands family is German and they ate their pancakes with catsup. My family was Irish and we ate ours with strawberry jam. That’s how we eat them now. If you are in a hurry you can use refrigerated shredded non-seasoned hashbrowns. They still come out pretty good. Love the pictures
YUM! These were absolutely scrumptious — and, best of all, used ingredients we already had (though we subbed leeks for the onion). Thanks!
A great tip that I’ve used for getting the most water out of the grated potato and onion mix is to put the whole mix into a salad spinner. It gets out SO much more water than a cheese cloth, making browning and crisping even easier!
Can you let me know why all the water has to come out of the grated potato? I have no idea and I am curious.
I made these today and they were fab. Served them with sour cream and homemade apple sauce. I used a pound and a half of potatoes and was debating whether to throw in an extra egg, but they came out great using just the one. Yum!
Is there any way to make them without flour or eggs? I’m making them for my son’s school and one of his friends has really bad allergies. Thanks!
Hi all,
Quick question! I don’t want to shred all these potatoes by hand, so I’m planning to buy hashbrowns. Does anyone know how many cups shredded 3 lbs of potatoes yields?
Thank you!
Deb, I’d like to make these for a party but I need to scale the number of latkes up and I’m having trouble believing you get a dozen latkes — even 3-inch ones — out of 1 potato and 1 onion??
Update: Made these (x20 the recipe — yes, x20. We were feeding 30 people). I lost count of how many we got but everyone ate several and we had leftovers. These came out fantastic and stayed yummy in a warm oven too. I did notice that even with squeezing out the potatoes (with a cheese cloth as you suggested — brilliant idea), the batter continue to let off liquid so we continued to drain as we went. Not a big deal. I’ll definitely make these again!
I made these tonight and they are wonderful. I was really surprised how much flavor they had. I was also surprised just how much liquid comes out of grated potato and onion. WOW. Anyway, these will be going on the permanent family dinner lists for sure. Yummy. Better yet, from start to finish, it took less then an hour to make.
Wow,we’re these good! The only thing missing? Directions for how to stop eating them. Ohhhh, how I regret my choices the day after.
I made these the other night, and they were positively delicious, but I have to ask for some advice. While I was grating the onion, what must have been the great flood started gushing out of my eyes. I’d heard of chewing gum while chopping onions but this was seriously no match. My hands also still have a faint smell of onions 2 days later! (and yes, I’ve washed them several times!!)
Any advice, especially on the grating and crying part? I don’t have a food processor, and I probably won’t be able to get one any time soon, so if you or any other readers can reveal any tips or secrets, I’d be forever grateful! (get it, “grate”ful?? I crack myself up)
Victoria — I’ve tried every trick in the book and nothing works (for me). So I bought these. And I look like a total dork but hey, at least I’m not bawling.
HA! Those are fantastic. Maybe I’ll just wear my swimming goggles. They are just as fashionable too ;) Thanks so much for the quick response!
Is it possible to keep the raw potato mixture in the fridge for a while, or do they need to be fried right away? Will the potato go brown? I’d be grateful for any advice! thank you.
Bayla — The potatoes will brown quickly.
Thank you for responding! I actually quadrupled the recipe and ended up with 45 latkes…..they were SO GOOD that this was not enough for 8 people!! Everyone loved them and said they were the best ever. I used white pepper as that’s what I had, and it added a lovely flavor. Thank you Deb for another winner!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Just made these for Hanukkah right now, and they are delicious.
Do you have any pictures of your latke flying spaghetti monster?
I made this and it was super easy and they tasted great. Can’t wait to try the other ones.
This was key in making my kickass sausage and latke Saturday brunch today, so thank you. I made the latkes out of turnips because I had a ton of them, they turned out great! In a cast iron skillet I first fried some sausage patties and then put the latkes in, adding a little extra fat to brown the second round (turnips are thirsty). While those were cooking I washed the turnip greens and then threw them into the pan when the latkes came out. Tasty enough to consider doing again tomorrow.
Wow, delighted by just seeing the photo, i decided i will cook this dish right away.. and i did… It turned out well. Thanks for the simple, delicious snack.
I will definitely be making these tomorrow. I grew up with potatoe pancakes made from left over mashed potatoes, egg and milk. They are truly the peasants version of this recipe. I will have to give yours a try. They look amazing.
I just made these. This is an excellent recipe. A good cheap food. Thanks!!
Deb, as a kid, when I watched my Bubbe make latkes, she used matzo meal rather than flour. Is there a reason you prefer flour?
Thank you.
Susan — There’s no reason not to use matzo meal. Personally, I can’t stand the taste of matzo so prefer to use flour. Plus, it’s an accessible ingredient; everyone has it.
So, how much baking powder? I heard your story yesterday and apparently that’s the secret ingredient… too secret?
Saw a question about what kind of oil….I think that sesame would be delicious!
Jenn — The NPR story refers not to this latkes recipe, but to one in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, which was released this week. The recipe isn’t terribly different (save the addition of baking powder, 1 teaspoon) but it makes a few large pancakes that are the perfect base for a fried egg.
I’ve made this recipe many times and it is one of our favorites. What does the baking powder add?
P.S. I got my cookbook yesterday! It is beautiful. I can’t wait to start cooking from it :)
I’ve not made potato pancakes since my children were small! Brings back nice memories.
P.S. I hard the your interview on NHPR the other day and I’ll look for your beautiful cookbook.
This was extra yummy!
Thank you.
I topped it with a yogurt cucumber sauce
I know this isn’t the exact recipe, but I made these after your NPR interview the other day. I LOVE potato pancakes after having eaten a ton of them at German festivals growing up. I especially liked the tip about reheating in the oven. Yesterday morning, I heated one up and put it on my husband’s breakfast taco.
Making these tomorrow night in preparation for Hanukkah. Love the cheese cloth squeezing method.
When putting them in the oven to keep warm, it is best to put them on a rack on top of a cookie sheet, im my opinion, for maximum crispness.
Happy Chanukah everyone.
Hi Deb! I followed the cheesecloth and “grate em long” tips and my latkes were great. Everyone loved them. I did do one thing differently. Mark Bittmann says Matzo meal or breadcrumbs. I had breadcrumbs to use up, so those went in. Happy Chanukah and I’m looking forward to getting your book when I’m in the States!
Deb:
I’ve been makng latkes for friends and family for 25 years (my husband fell in love with me after tasting them at a hannukah party!) and I use the same basic recipe you do with one extra secret step to create yellow super crispy never-greyish latkes: After wrappng in the cheescloth, squeeze the liquid into a big measuring cup and let it sit for a minute; pour off the liquid (which i sometimes replace with milk) and STIR THE POTATO STARCH BACK INTO THE POTATO MIXTURE. I think i read this orignally in a GOurmet magazine feature ut it works like a charm every time. Happy Channukah!
these were a big hit at chanukah dinner tonight. thanks for the recipe. i made one batch with russet potatoes and one with sweet potatoes and actually fried them in coconut oil. the sweets were a home run but they were both delicious.
My only adjustment would be to use matzoh meal instead of flour. They taste better that way, and it’s more in keeping with Jewish tradition (at least at Channukah). I also love the suggestion of using sweet potatoes – must try!
just used your recipe and had they were fantastic. I had made a hatch green chili sauce yesterday and used some of the sauce to enhance the flavor which worked beautifully! Thanks for having a great recipe!
I made your latkes last night instead of the ones I’ve been perfecting for nearly 40 years. First, I went out and bought myself some cheesecloth and a new Cuisinart. Shredding…? twisting out the water…? Who knew! They came out perfect–beautiful and crispy. Best of all, they were a real gourmet upgrade for my Chanukah tradition. Thank you!!
I have a friend with celiac and I’ve been frying latkes for her and her family for over a decade {it’s my annual Hanukah present to them: I stand at the stove and fry until everyone groans and begs me to stop.} She can’t eat flour or matzo meal, so I just leave it out. I have discovered that not only do you not need any kind of binder except eggs, the latkes are even crisper and more potatoey without it. I soak the shred in cold water while we light the menorahs and then just use whatever potato starch accumulates on the bottom of the bowl.
Oh, and PS: if you twist the edges of the towel around the handle of a wooden spoon, you get much better leverage and more liquid out of the potatoes.
I mince my onions and add them after the potatoes are dried.
Cook’s Illustrated just came out with a new potato latke recipe where you do not peel the potatoes (just scrub them) before grating and uses no flour or matzoh meal to bind them, just egg and the starch from the potato water that you drain off. We made them last night and I am here to tell you that they are the crispest latkes we have ever eaten. You would be amazed at how good they are! Mazel tov!
Made these for a Hanukkah dinner last night and everyone loved them! I had only made latkes from a mix before and these were amazing.
I cannot believe why I haven’t been making these ALL THE TIME! They’re so delicious and sooo easy!
Great Recipe My daughter can’t have gluten so I swapped out the flour for a Gluten free flour mix and it was a BIG HIT. Easy, Quick and delicious what more could you want.
I made these for New Years today. It’s a foamy tradition to make these. Problem, my mothers are never crispy enough so I am always looking for a recipe that I love. I just found it. It was a huge hit with my picky son and husband! They both ate tons. Thank you :)
Michelle. Same here! I like these suckers cripy (dead lol)
If anyone hasn’t tried these, you’re missing out!
Thanks.
James
Just wanted to post that these were my life saver today .. warded off all morning sickness and satisfied my 18 month old all in one. We love them and we are so glad to have stumbled across this recipe in your amazing cookbook … The Olive Oil & Fig Challah (forgive me if I’m mis-naming it) is on the rise as we speak. <3 Thank you!
These look perfect for my brunch potluck dish. Have you tried using sweet potatoes? I’m trying to avoid nightshades as a potential allergy food. Love your book and your blog – so inspiring! -Sara
Never made potato pancakes before, except from leftover mash. This recipe was super simple and the pancakes turned out perfectly. One person commented that they were a little too dense, but I loved them! Are they supposed to be dense?
Yesterday we made hash browns. Today we made latkes. Latkes won.
Julie — Re, dense, it depends on what one expects from their pancakes. I aim for crisp and tangly. But, if someoene is used to ones that are mashed in the center, they may seem harder.