Potato Latkes 101

By Carynz

Ingredients

• Classic Recipe (serves 4)
• 5 potatoes
• 1 small onion*
• 1-2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• pepper to taste
• use Spanish onions for a sweeter taste.add a drop of celery salt for flavor

Preparation

Step 1

The starchier the potato,the crispier the latke. Russet potatoes are high in starch.
Chop onion very finely by hand and place in a large bowl.If you do it in the food processor it gets too watery.
Prepare a bowl of water with ice cubes in it. After grating potatoes put them in the bowl.
Drain the grated potatoes in a salad spinner or wrap them in a clean towel a few handfuls at a time and wring out the towel very well(over the bowl of water) until not a drop of water is left.
Some of the starch from the potatoes will spill out. Spoon out the starch that settled on the bottom and add it to the potatoes.
Quickly add the potatoes to the bowl of onions. Add remaining ingred. and mix well. Do not add flour it will them them gummy. Add a little matzah meal if necessary.
Use a heavy cast iron skillet or stainless steel pan for the most even heat distribution.Non stick pans not recommended. Heat pan first without oil. Use canola,peanut or corn oil. Heat oil until it shimmers and thins out. Turn the heat to medium/high. If too high,the inside will be uncooked while the outside will be seared.
Don't crowd the pan. Use about 1/4 cup of batter per latke. Allow 30 seconds or so between batches to let the oil heat back up to the right temp,especially if you're adding oil.
Best to drain latkes on paper towels on a cooking rack,so they don't get soggy.
If frying in advance,fry each latke until it's 90% cooked through and no more. Place latkes vertically in a pan,like a deck of cards. Cover tightly.Refrigerate until using. Preheat oven to 350 and reheat uncovered for 15-20 min or until heated through.