POTATO PANCAKES (LATKES) EXTRAVAGANZA








I make these every year for people who celebrate Chanukah and even for those who don't. Once a year I offer them for the special price of $120 for 100. No delivery - you pick up. Then it's one oily day for me. I fry'em then freeze'em right away. They stay fresh for about 3 months, or more if they are vacuum packed. All you have to do is heat them frozen in a hot - 450 degree oven - for about 5-8 minutes and you'll think you just made them - that is - your guests will think so.

They taste great just as they are with a little salt - OR - with applesauce, sour cream, caramelized onions, caviar, smoked salmon...whatever you want.

Here is the recipe, in case you want to make your own (!)

POTATO PANCAKES RECIPE - LATKES
makes about 60

5-7 pounds potatoes, combine Russets and Eastern
1 large Vidalia or yellow onion
3 large eggs
½ cup cake matzo meal, matzo meal, or unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ potato starch
Salt
2 bottles grapeseed oil and/or peanut oil or canola oil

Prepare a cookie or sheet pan to drain the pancakes after they are fried, with a couple of layers of newspapers and/or paper towels.

Wash and peel the potatoes taking out the ‘eyes’. You can leave the peel on, if you like. I don’t. Cut the potatoes small enough to fit into the feeding tube of your processor. Reserve the peeled potatoes in a bowl of cold water.

Process the onions and potatoes with the grater blade. First put in a bit of onion through then the potatoes until the processor bowl is filled; remove to a bowl. Continue grating with the rest of the onions and potatoes.

After everything is grated remove the grater blade and put in the rotator blade for fine processing. Put the grated potato/onion mixture back into the bowl of the processor and pulse to fine grate. Put the fine grated potatoes into a fine sieve over a bowl. Drain and push out as much liquid as possible. Reserve the potato starch at the bottom and discard the rest of the liquid.

Mix in the matzo meal, additional potato starch, eggs and salt. Combine very well. Let rest about 30 minutes.

Pour the oil into two frying pans to at least 1-inch. It is important to submerge the pancake rather than using a little oil, use a lot. Contrary to ordinary logic (if there is such a thing) the more oil the pancakes cook in the less oil goes into the pancake itself. Strange but true.  Use either all grapeseed oil or a combination of peanut or canola and grapeseed oil. Heat the oil to very hot. Test by putting a small amount of the potato mixture into each pan. When it sizzles madly, it’s hot enough to start making the pancakes.

Using a tablespoon, put a heaping tablespoon of the potato mixture into the pans. Smooth it out gently but don’t press down. The pancakes should be about 2” x 3”, roughly. Turn after you see the edges turn golden. When golden on both sides, take out and drain on the prepared draining sheets. Sprinkle some salt on the hot pancakes.

Either serve right away with selected condiments: sour cream, yogurt, sugar, or applesauce. Some people like them sweet, others not. If made a bit smaller they make a good base for serving smoked salmon and caviar.

To freeze: once a batch is drained and cooled put them directly on to another baking or cookie sheet and put into the freezer. Once they are frozen put them into plastic bags or use your vacuum sealer to store.
To reheat: preheat oven to 450 degrees, put the desired quantity of pancakes on a baking sheet and heat about 7-8 minutes.