Latkes (potato pancakes)

[First published in December 2009, this is our family's go-to latke recipe. Even though we associate latkes with Chanukah, they're a crowd pleaser at any time of year. Make small ones for your Sunday football parties, or large ones for a vegetarian dinner main dish. Kids love latkes smothered with sour cream or apple sauce. Please enjoy this post adapted from the archives.]

Rudolf Diesel had a dream. When the German inventor and Utopian idealist demonstrated his new engine at the 1900 Paris World Exposition, it ran not on petroleum, but on peanut oil.  In the perfect world, Diesel believed, renewable biofuels like peanut oil could power farm machinery and automobiles. In our imperfect world, my car still drinks gasoline, but peanut oil powers my frying.

Most American peanut oils are mild-flavored, whereas Chinese peanut oil, less heavily refined, has a nuttier flavor. It's valued in Asian cooking for its high smoke point. (Smoke point is the temperature to which an oil can be heated before it begins to smoke and discolor, which means the oil is decomposing.) Peanut oil's smoke point is 450°F, compared to extra-virgin olive oil (405°F), canola oil (400°F), and butter (350°F). If you are allergic to peanuts, you can substitute another high-smoke-point oil -- canola, grapeseed or rice bran -- for most recipes.

By the way, George Washington Carver mixed peanut oil with lanolin to make shampoo. I've never tried that.

 

Latkes (potato pancakes) {vegetarian}

From the pantry, you'll need: onion, eggs, all-purpose unbleached flour, kosher salt, thyme.

Serves 6; can be multiplied.

Ingredients

2 very large or 3 medium russet potatoes
1 small onion
2 large eggs
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp dried thyme leaf
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
Peanut oil for frying

Directions

Prepare a large mixing bowl by spreading a clean dish towel inside.

Peel the potatoes and onion, and cut into chunks that can fit through the feed tube of a food processor. With the processor fitted with the shredding blade, pass the potato and onion chunks through until everything is shredded. Dump the shredded potato mixture into the clean dish towel, and squeeze until you've gotten all of the liquid out that you can.

Remove the shredding disk and insert the metal blade in your processor. Add the potato mixture back into the processor, and pulse 10 times to chop slightly without pulverizing your potatoes. Remove from the processor into a large mixing bowl.

Add peanut oil to a large frying pan, to a depth of 1/4 inch. Preheat the pan over medium-low heat while you finish making the latke mixture.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the oil, to the potatoes and mix thoroughly (I use my impeccably clean hands for this). Test that the oil is hot by inserting a chopstick vertically; if you see little bubbles emanating from the tip of the chopstick, the oil is hot enough.

I always make one tiny test latke, so I can make sure the mixture has enough salt. You can skip this step if you wish.

Drop the batter in large spoonfuls into the oil, a few at a time. Cook until brown on both sides, to your desired level of crispness (I prefer medium brown, with a moist center). Remove to a plate covered with paper towels and drain thoroughly. (Latkes are best made right before you plan to eat them, but you can make them up to a day ahead and reheat in the oven at 400°F for 10 minutes.)

Serve with warm applesauce and/or sour cream.

NOTE: You can make latkes without a food processor; simply grate the potato and onion on the largest holes of a box grater. Squeeze out the liquid in a clean dish towel, and proceed with the recipe.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More Chanukah recipes:
Sweet potato latkes, from The Perfect Pantry
Grandma's beef brisket in the slow cooker, from The Perfect Pantry
Vegetarian kasha varnishkes, from The Perfect Pantry
Potato latkes eggs Benedict, from What Jew Wanna Eat

 

Latkes (potato pancakes) {vegetarian}

From the pantry, you'll need: onion, eggs, all-purpose unbleached flour, kosher salt, thyme.

Serves 6; can be multiplied.

Ingredients

2 very large or 3 medium russet potatoes
1 small onion
2 large eggs
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp dried thyme leaf
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
Peanut oil for frying

Directions

Prepare a large mixing bowl by spreading a clean dish towel inside.

Peel the potatoes and onion, and cut into chunks that can fit through the feed tube of a food processor. With the processor fitted with the shredding blade, pass the potato and onion chunks through until everything is shredded. Dump the shredded potato mixture into the clean dish towel, and squeeze until you've gotten all of the liquid out that you can.

Remove the shredding disk and insert the metal blade in your processor. Add the potato mixture back into the processor, and pulse 10 times to chop slightly without pulverizing your potatoes. Remove from the processor into a large mixing bowl.

Add peanut oil to a large frying pan, to a depth of 1/4 inch. Preheat the pan over medium-low heat while you finish making the latke mixture.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the oil, to the potatoes and mix thoroughly (I use my impeccably clean hands for this). Test that the oil is hot by inserting a chopstick vertically; if you see little bubbles emanating from the tip of the chopstick, the oil is hot enough.

I always make one tiny test latke, so I can make sure the mixture has enough salt. You can skip this step if you wish.

Drop the batter in large spoonfuls into the oil, a few at a time. Cook until brown on both sides, to your desired level of crispness (I prefer medium brown, with a moist center). Remove to a plate covered with paper towels and drain thoroughly. (Latkes are best made right before you plan to eat them, but you can make them up to a day ahead and reheat in the oven at 400°F for 10 minutes.)

Serve with warm applesauce and/or sour cream.

NOTE: You can make latkes without a food processor; simply grate the potato and onion on the largest holes of a box grater. Squeeze out the liquid in a clean dish towel, and proceed with the recipe.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More Chanukah recipes:
Sweet potato latkes, from The Perfect Pantry
Grandma's beef brisket in the slow cooker, from The Perfect Pantry
Vegetarian kasha varnishkes, from The Perfect Pantry
Potato latkes eggs Benedict, from What Jew Wanna Eat

Comments

I have no doubt they are delicious, but do you believe I can only think of once I've had latkes (years and years and years ago) and have never made them!

Kalyn, I remember making these with my grandmother when I was a little girl. It was such a great tradition at this time of year.

When the home page loads, all I can see at first is the photo. One look and I get hungry. It's a taste and texture that brings good memories.
Sometimes I made one big latke for my breakfast - 1 potato, one egg, etc. I saw them compared to hash browns, but that's a pale comparison.

Do you cook the potato before you shred it?

Melissa, no.

They look so similar to hash browns. As a big potato lover I will certainly try them at some point.