All your wonderful recipes, wit, photos. However, for some reason I was always resistant to using my food processor to shred the potatoes (I don’t know why? They are delicious and I’m certain we’ll have none left at the end of the night. I had breadcrumbs to use up, so those went in. This is a keeper! Yummy. But don’t be like me! 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. Oooh, I never considered fancying-up my latkes with creme fraiche and caviar. 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. I was so proud, and I’m so grateful to you for this wonderful blog. Thank you so much for the latke recipe! Oy vey, looking at your salmon roe brings back scary memories. I used a hand grater, and a dish cloth to squeeze… didn’t have potato starch so used a combo of mostly tapioca flour with a little cornflour/plain flour, and 1/2 tspn of baking powder. I made these for New Years today. I'm always afraid to cook with that much oil. Bear — Nope, that should be tablespoon. Love, love, love your blog….it’s my “go-to” anytime I’m searching for a new recipe! Thank you for sharing, I still can’t believe you manage to keep the blog updated with so much else going on. I just made these. It makes a great Sunday brunch. I use my potato ricer to squeeze out the liquid. It’ll be dry in no time. perfect with martha stewart’s all american meatloaf, which you should really make. But for the make ahead, do I drain, cool, and freeze them in a single layer between waxed paper, etc.? I didn’t know it was just a pile of shredds and onions stuck together by frying until their own starch held them together. My only adjustment would be to use matzoh meal instead of flour. Well seasoned cast iron skillets make the brownest, crispiest fritters. I didn’t have cheesecloth so I used a cotton dishtowel. I also did a zucchini fritter this past summer with no potatoes if you’re interested in another riff. The so-far-behind-the-cultural-times-I-might-as-well-be-living-in-the-30’s. Glad to see that time for latkes has come again. I’m from france and just want to say that i love your website. These are on the menu for tomorrow. Stop me if this is a bonehead question. (Your paper towels may be black to start with. For years, I put therm in a low oven, not realizing they became greasier. Rave reviews. Beautiful and delicious latkes! I don’t recommend pre-shredding; I think the potatoes get soggy. I also love the suggestion of using sweet potatoes – must try! Cooked, they keep well in the fridge for a day or two, or in the freezer, well wrapped, for up to two weeks. Transfer shredded vegetables to a lint-free dishtowel or square of cheesecloth, and wring out as much liquid as possible. This was the first thing I made with my Paderno spiralizer 2 months ago, but baked in muffin tins. 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. I made these tonight and they are wonderful. Whoever thought of pairing applesauce and latkes is a genius. Victoria — I’ve tried every trick in the book and nothing works (for me). I threw that away and instead coated the potato strands with the flour and then incorporated the egg, which worked great. Good luck with the book! I used more oil than called for and ended up removing quite a bit. I’ve recently made your cannoli pound cake…we all loved it…your pear, cranberry ginger crumble…I loved that for Thanksgiving as the cranberries from Costco were enormous this year…and of, course, I had t o try your latkes. As for the topping I used homemade applesauce. Thixotropy!! It became runny and — quelle tristesse! Adapted from Food & Wine. 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! Recently, Joan Nathan has been singing the praises of mashed rather than grated potatoes, and I once made a variation that blended the potatoes … 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. I added tiny bits of chopped up ham and served with strawberry (or lingonberry) jam just like how the Swedes I know eat them. I was so inspired and encouraged that I made rainbow latkes for tonight – some with carrot/sweet potato added for”orange,” some with beets for “red” – as well as your zucchini fritters for “green.” The original recipe was golden enough for “yellow.” It’s a gorgeous spread. Deselect All. Thanks for all the great info! 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. Discard the center. I used canola oil, not peanut oil– in a heavy skillet, but not a cast iron skillet. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. I cooked them in my grandmother’s cast iron skillet and felt very much at peace knowing she fried many things in that very skillet during her life. I found that packed tablespoons worked much better for the size I was going for. (and yes, I’ve washed them several times!! 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. I love latkes, but can only justify having a couple. I like using a grater box instead of my food processor – grating creates thinner strands which fry up crispier than shreds, in my opinion. Smitten Kitchen’s is the one all-butter recipe of the four that calls for chilling the dough before baking. My favorite are yams with green onions. insanely delicious. Or just cool and freeze them without draining? Best latkes I’ve ever made. 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. Like you said, the latkes made a perfect “bed” for resting fried eggs on. Thank you! For longer strands, lay the potato sideways in the chute of your food processor. 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?”). It wouldn’t be Hanukah if I didn’t refresh my favorite, dead-simple potato pancake recipe. Can you help?! These days, I actually add a little baking powder too. Have you ever frozen or refrigerated for 24 hours? First time I’m looking at your blog and I had to post to say I think we have matching Menorah’s :) Funny. On Saturday morning I made latkes and they were amazing. So..I just mixed a little pancake batter..without sugar and used it and called them Hash Browns. I’ve used this recipe a bunch of times and it is great! Repeat with the remaining zucchini mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as needed. I also did them with GF flour blend and tossed in some xantham gum for good measure (1/4tsp)…this gf thing is new so I never know when I need a gum added. Both creme fraiche and caviar, are not peasant foods, I loooove latkes. I’ve made this recipe many times and it is one of our favorites. The holiday calls for feasting on foods that involve oil because the legend behind the holiday tells of when one night’s worth of oil burned … HAVE YOU EVER MADE SWEET POTATO LATKES? What do you do so that they don’t taste like raw potato and flour? Cut the zucchini flesh off the seedy center and coarsely grate it in a food processor. I also appreciated your tip about heating them in a hot oven. Bless you, this post saved dinner last night! I hard the your interview on NHPR the other day and I’ll look for your beautiful cookbook. But, if you are making these ahead, what is the process? I used flour, and the peanut oil was great. Seriously! Thanks for the tips; we’ve been trying recipes, with excellent results, since we found the site only a month or two ago. Now, nothing but homemade. Your email address will not be published. Your email address will not be published. I have to ask, have you tried latkes with Matzo Meal instead of flour? There isn’t a huge Jewish community here in Adelaide, Australia, so unfortunately I’ve never had a latke in my life. :D. Jen C. (commenter #51) and I are wondering, how would you make latkes if someone forced you to make them sans eggs? Post was not sent - check your email addresses! It tastes like memories and happiness and my husband can’t control himself because they’re so delicious. Follow this rule and you will have a great cast iron experience. <3 Thank you! Absolutely. (lovely site, by the way) Those latkas look lovely. I love them but do the old fashioned method of grating them. 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). First – I’m not Jewish but my best friend of 36 years IS. I do an exact swap. Or an appetizer. I took too much dill from my CSA share last week (apparently there is such a thing as too much dill!). Best I’ve ever made. They look so delicious. 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. They came out beautifully. I’ve not made potato pancakes since my children were small! So my sister has always been the latke queen. They are the perfect alternative to hashbrowns. This, too, is a traditional kind of latke; I just prefer the ropier, more textured one. It was so good that I omitted the sour cream on top, which I thought would be impossible for a diaryaholic. You just need a little space, which in an apartment I understand is at a premium. So tasty. Does anyone know how many cups shredded 3 lbs of potatoes yields? I hope no one notices how salty they are. oh, I want some now. Ok..so I’m calling them latkes now..alright?. The oil just dripped off. I’ve always been too intimidated to make these, but they were surprisingly simple to make. And something more chocolate-y than chocolate cake, if you can imagine. Thanks. I loved them! Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Perfect texture and no raw potato flavor you can sometimes wind up with. No, no. a close second xD). Recipes. I am inspired, and will make some..But explain how caviar is “peasant food”? Nor cable. Have you tried rice-flour instead of regular for any kind of fritters? As if the crispy first shot wasn’t enough the ones with the salmon roe really have my Pavlovian responses going! Toss whatever needs drying into a clean old pillowcase. And then if you are a good Russian like my husband Alex (the woods are full of them! I made this for dinner the other night and loved it!! You know, if you leave out the onion they are even better – crisper and browner. 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!). I made these tonight for a hanukkah gathering. Don’t for a second think you’ll be eating hash browns, which tend to be griddled with far less fat. I just juggle them around a lot, giving them rotations into the hotter parts when needed. I still haven’t tryed (tried?) (I’m buttering you up for a latke party invite in 2007, can’t you tell? I have loved the latke recipes I have been finding on many Jewish/US blogs. My husband’s kosher family served them at meat meals with applesauce or sugar. I cooked them in a titanium skillet and skipped the oil so mine weren’t as golden and pretty as yours. My family always makes latkes with just potatoes, egg, onion, salt and pepper — no flour or matzoh meal. I could not get them to hold together like they do in a restaurant. Apple Latkes. Deb Never made potato pancakes before, except from leftover mash. And thank you! you see, not wanting to face the stove for that long, i used the latke recipe to make a kugel. Psst: These days I like these Zucchini Fritters even more. I never use onion. In a food processor or on a box grater, coarsely grate the potato and onion. Directions for how to stop eating them. these are in the oven right now. :P, I’m missing something, thats why they stick, however they taste yummy so have fun with this and see if you can get them to stop sticking if you can you’ll have a beautiful fluffy pancake :), Never mind it was awful recipe four of them came out right then the rest just stuck and made an mess. May your holidays be wonderous and your New Year filled with light and happy days in the kitchen! wow potato pancake i think imma go try and make it it look so yummy.!!!! Cheese Latkes from the James Beard Foundation. The liquid of the potato makes a crispy lace pattern that is sooo yum. As an adult I made my own and many ways. Thank you. I tripled the recipe and the onion flavor was a little too strong. The version topped having a poached egg is appropriate & up my alley. Cast iron mantra: Hot pan, cold oil, hot pan, cold oil, hot pan, cold oil. (A lot of restaurants use it for french fries.) 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! Thanks! They were delicious! I’ve never done it but I bet there’s no harm. But, if you’re not a formula person, here is a more official-like recipe: In a large bowl, whisk the flour or starch, baking powder (if using), salt and pepper, and egg together. I tried this recipe today. I’m happy to say these measured up perfectly. Pair it with matzah ball soup and you are good to go. I hand grated a 5 lb bag of potatoes & 2 large onions. I should not have mulitiplied the amt of salt. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black … We get about 13 2.5-inch latkes from a double batch. Recipes. I’m Jewish, and I have been craving latkes since my grandmother passed. I swooned when I saw these latkes – you make them just the way I like them! Because I’m nice, but apparently not that nice. Heap some latke mixture on top and spread it into an even layer. Next, I at last retired the sieve-pressing for a cheesecloth-squeezing. But, O-M-G! 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. These are delicious as is but I’ve taken to replacing half the potato with broccoli stems to sneak some vegetables in there and I think I like it that way even more! Crispy, salty potato pancakes are, we think, the best place to rest a fried egg, or even cook extra tiny and finish with a dollop crème fraîche and caviar or smoked salmon for a little holiday indulgence. These days I use potato starch instead of flour; I find the latkes come out even more crisp with a more clear potato flavor. Thank you. Doing the Happy Food Dance… just tasted one while cooking up a batch for tomorrow, soooo good! Trisha Yearwood uses salted butter along with vegetable shortening to make her cookies. * I’m new to your blog and have been looking forward to every new entry. ;-). Beautiful blog and beautiful recipes! Not sure if they were perfect, but I don’t think there’s a way to go wrong with potato+oil+heat. Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen recommends topping them with a crispy fried egg or taking them on a spin through the waffle iron. Hats off as usual, Deb. Curried Sweet Potato Latkes. The remaining water starts coming out of the potatoes and the mixture gets very wet. I don’t want to do this twice and if this works it would save my sanity on party day. :-). I did one batch with Russets and one with Sweets!! I might try that. Do you know what the baking powder does? I also used a nut milk bag to squeeze my potatoes. I’m here to say it and spray it: If you aren’t spritzing your kitchen, you’re missing out. I make latkes every year, even teach the children at our sunday school how to make them. Would the latkas hold up ok if I froze them and then re-heated? Same here! — I had to double the recipe. Reheat them on a dark baking sheet in a 375°F oven for about 5 minutes, or until warmed through and crisp. We love these. 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