Crispy & Creamy Potato Pancakes (Latkes): The World's Best Potatoes

By Tom421

Ingredients

• 1 1 2 pound (about 2 large) starchy potatoes
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 cup onion or shallots, coarsely chopped
• 1 1 1 whole egg or the whites of two eggs
• 2 2 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 teaspoon Morton's kosher salt
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 1 about 1 cup of olive oil
• About the potatoes. Go for Burbank Russet, King Edward, or Yukon Golds.
• 1/2 the salt. If you use table salt, use about 1/2 the amount.
• About the oil. You can also use peanut oil, canola oil, corn oil or a blend of oils if you wish, but fresh harvest season olive oil is the tradition.
• to the baking soda. The baking soda makes carbon dioxide bubbles and gives lightness to the interior. Leave it out if you want a denser pancake.
• to 1 2 like to add 1 grated carrot and 2 tablespoons of chives, mainly for color.
• To 1 flour. The flour helps bind things together. To make this recipe gluten free, use 1 tablespoon pure corn starch. Argo is gluten free.

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 70mins
Adapted from amazingribs.com

Preparation

Step 1

Potato pancakes are a treat in many cultures. The basic recipe is pretty much the same around the world, but there are some fun variations.

are a staple in diners across the US and in some fast food restaurants. Cooked on a griddle, often they are odd shaped or served in loose chunks. In fast food restaurants they are molded into patties and deep fried.

in Switzerland are the diameter of whatever pan they are cooked in and can even be frisbee sized. Cheese, bacon, and apple are often mixed in. The trick is in flipping them.

is what they are called in Germany and they are usually served with apple sauce.

are served with bacon and jam in Sweden.

There are thousands of recipes, but this simple version, given to me by a rabbi and modified only slightly, is by far my favorite. You can use the oil more than once, but don't try to make it last eight days.

Don't make the patties too large. 3" wide by just under 1/2" is ideal. Leave the edges jagged for extra crispiness.

Use a 12" skillet that distributes and retains heat well, and that's important as you add cold patties to the oil. Cast iron is a good choice.

Don't start frying until a sliver of potato sizzles when you drop it into the oil.

Slide the patties into the oil a minute or two apart to make sure the oil doesn't get cold.

Yield.

You can also use peanut oil, canola oil, corn oil or a blend of oils if you wish, but fresh harvest season olive oil is the tradition.

The baking soda makes carbon dioxide bubbles and gives lightness to the interior. Leave it out if you want a denser pancake.

Optional add-ins.

I like to add 1 grated carrot and 2 tablespoons of chives, mainly for color.

The flour helps bind things together. To make this recipe gluten free, use 1 tablespoon pure corn starch. Argo is gluten free.

In Jewish homes it is common to serve latkes with a dollop of sour cream or apple sauce on top or on the side and perhaps a sprinkle of chives or parsley. Some people have been seen serving them with ketchup, mayonnaise, cinnamon, or sugar on top. Yuk! Me? I eat mine nekked.

1) Preheat the oven to 300°F. Take a sheet pan and put a rack over it and put it in the oven. This is used for draining and crisping the pancakes and keeping them hot when they come out of the oil.

2) Crack the egg into a large mixing bowl, and beat it lightly with a fork or whisk. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and pepper and stir together with the fork. Don't worry if there are lumps.

3) Peel the potatoes and then wash them. Put them in a bowl of cold water as you work to keep them from browning. When you are done peeling, pat them dry with a paper towel. Now shred them with the big holes on a box grater or a food processor so they are all uniform in size. Mix in the onions.

We are now going to try to get as much moisture as possible out of the potatoes and onions. If you have a salad spinner, take the taters a ride. If not, with your hands, pick up a small amount of the grated potato/onion mix and, over the sink, squeeze out as much water as possible. Repeat. Then spread the grated potato mix out on a double layer of paper towels, cover with another double layer of paper towels, and press hard. Another method is to put the mix into the center of a few layers of cheesecloth, a clean T-shirt, or a clean kitchen towel, pull together the edges making a pouch, and twist and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

5) Add the potato mix to the bowl with the egg mixture, mix gently until the potatoes are all coated.

6) Heat the skillet over high. If you are using cast iron add a few tablespoons of oil and wipe the pan clean with a paper towel. Then add enough oil so that it fills the pan 1/4" deep. If the pancakes are 1/2" then the oil is deep enough to reach more than halfway up the pancake. Heat the oil to about 350°F or for about 10 minutes until, if you drop a shred of potato in, it begins to bubble and fries instantly.

7) One at a time, make patties about 3" across and about 1/2" high, but leave the edges jagged. An ice cream scoop is a good measuring device, then you can shape them. Ease the patties into the oil one at a time about a minute apart, being careful not to splash. You should be able to fit four into a 12" pan at a time, and they should not be touching much. The reason to stagger their start time is to keep the oil temperature hot. If you add four at a time, the oil temp will drop and the pancakes can get soggy. When you add the last one, you should notice the edges of the first one are getting golden after 5 to 7 minutes. Check the bottom of the first patty by lifting it with a slotted spatula. It should be golden, but there still may be milky parts showing. Don't let the edges go brown otherwise when you flip them they will overcook. Flip it, and it is easiest with two spatulas or a spatula and a large spoon so they don't splatter or break. Flip the away from you so they don't splash. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes on the second side until golden. Remove the patty and gently put it on the rack over the baking pan in the oven to crisp even more.

9) After they have been in the oven for about 15 minutes the latkes will darken a bit, crisp even more on the outsides, and cook thoroughly through the center. Sprinkle lightly with salt and serve hot.