Today is the start of Chanukah, 2014. And I noticed I've never posted my recipe for potato latkes nor any photos. That needs to be righted! I'm going to be making some in the next few days so photos will likely follow. Meanwhile, if you want to make your own follow this recipe. Feel free to ask questions.
makes about 60
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| POTATO LATKES |
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 cup potato starch
coarse salt
2 bottles grapeseed oil and/or light olive oil, or any oil with a high smoke point
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, and a cooling rack, as for cookies, on top so any fat can drain off.
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| PREPARING THE DRAINING RACK |
Wash and peel the potatoes taking out the ‘eyes’. You can
leave the peel on, if you like. I do now all the time. Cut the potatoes small enough to fit
into the feeding tube of your processor. Reserve the peeled potatoes in a bowl
of cold water.
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WASHING THE POTATOES
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Process the onions and potatoes with the grater blade, the round disc with holes. 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. Optionally, use a box grater and grate by hand. Good luck.
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. You might have to do this in a few batches. 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, potato starch and additional potato starch, eggs and
salt. Combine very well. Let rest about 30 minutes.
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POTATO STARCH
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Pour the oil into two frying pans to at least 1-inch. Use
either all grapeseed oil or a combination of light olive 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.
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| OIL AND FRYING PAN |
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 rack. You want them golden crispy on the outside and just cooked inside. Sprinkle some salt on the hot latkes.
Serve right away with selected condiments: sour
cream, yogurt, sugar, or applesauce. Some people like them sweet. 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 F, put the desired quantity of pancakes on a baking sheet and heat about 7-8 minutes.
To reheat: preheat oven to 450 degrees F, put the desired quantity of pancakes on a baking sheet and heat about 7-8 minutes.
