The Art of Latkes

Author and Photographer: Sarah Ginsburg

Hanukkah season has arrived. The celebration is filled with eight nights of gifts, music, and delicious food. Traditional Hanukkah dishes tend to vary from household to household, but they have one thing in common: they are always fried in copious amounts of oil. Sure, we cook with oil to celebrate the Hanukkah miracle of one night of oil lasting for eight, but more importantly, we want an excuse to fry everything in sight for eight days. A typical Hanukkah meal in my household consists of an entree of slow-cooked, tomato-marinated brisket, small, jelly-filled donuts for dessert, and most notably, Latkes: a crispy, shredded-potato and onion pancake fried in vegetable oil. Latkes are hard to mess up, but they’re equally hard to master. Achieving the crispy edges and pillowy center of the perfect Latke is an ever-evolving process, but I’d like to think that after all these years, my family has gotten pretty close. 

Usually, roughly adhering to the measurements below will make about twelve Latkes. The texture of your mixture will depend on the size of the potatoes and onions, so you should add as much or as little matzah meal and egg you need to achieve a bound batter. Most importantly, the ingredients for your mixture should be minimal. I would advise against over-seasoning your mixture or trying to add additional ingredients, since Latkes are typically eaten with a dipping sauce. The simpler, the better!

Ingredients: 

  • 2 medium-sized Russet potatoes (peeled)

  • 1 small yellow onion

  • ¼ cup matzo meal

  • 1 egg, whisked

  • ¼ to ½ cup vegetable oil

  • Salt to taste

  • Optional: Applesauce and sour cream to serve

Instructions

1. After peeling the potatoes, I usually use a box grater to shred my potatoes and onion. You may also use a food processor, but I find that hand-grating produces larger shreds, and in turn, a lacier, crispier Latke. 

2. After shredding, place your mixture in a clean dish towel, wringing out as much excess liquid as possible. This step is essential; the more liquid you drain, the crispier your Latkes will be. 

3. After draining your potato and onion mixture, add in your whisked egg, matzo meal, and salt to taste. Again, you may adjust the measurements of the binding ingredients depending on the texture of your mixture. Your ultimate goal is a wet, but still bound batter that will hold its shape. 

4. For frying, I typically use a portable electric skillet to minimize oil splatter, but a pan over the stove works just as well. Make sure your vegetable oil is about ¼ inch deep in your pan, and heat it over medium heat until small bubbles begin to form. 

5. Form balls with 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture, place them about 2 inches apart on your pan, and immediately flatten them using a spoon or spatula. 

6. Your latkes should fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until they form a crisp exterior with a light, pillowy center. 

7. Place your latkes on a paper-towel covered plate to drain excess oil, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. If you aren’t serving your Latkes right away, warm them in a 250 degree oven. 

8. The superior dipping sauce for Latkes is a widely contested debate.  Jews are divided between applesauce and sour cream, but why choose when you can have both? For my favorite dipping sauce, simply combine equal parts of applesauce and sour cream in a small bowl for the perfect blend of sweet and tart. 

Enjoy these Latkes during your Hanukkah celebration, or any day of the year, really. Make sure to count your blessings for oil, because without it, we would not have such a delicious dish at our disposal. Happy frying!

RecipesMelanie WangRecipeComment