At their core, latkes are a simple recipe of shredded potatoes, a little egg, salt and a few spices. Some folks dress them up by adding different shredded vegetables like sweet potatoes and onion, while others focus on accompaniments for serving such as applesauce and sour cream. So at their core, latkes should be a breeze. Then why are there so many ho-hum ones?
My dad is Jewish, my mom Presbyterian so we grew up celebrating Hanukkah and Passover along with Christmas and Easter. My dad was always in charge of the latkes. He uses my grandmother's recipe and when we're home, he'll coach us through it as if we've never seen him make them before. My sisters and I generally zone out, waiting eagerly for the first latkes to come out of the pan. But lately, I've started to pay more and more attention after having one too many bad latkes and after making a pretty mediocre round of them last year on my own.
So what makes a latke bad? I think they fall into a few camps: soggy or overly pasty and gummy. Neither is ideal and I couldn't really tell you which is worse. But to get past these downfalls every time, I've got a few simple tips that will help shape up your latke mojo.
1. Strain, Squeeze, Strain: To avoid soggy latkes, you need to wring out your potato mixture really, really well. Folks have different theories about how many times you should wring out the mixture and what you should use. I favor cheesecloth if you have it. If you don't, a clean dishtowel will do the trick. Just keep in mind that you can't do this too firmly: it's impossible to hurt the latke mixture. Be tough. Be firm. Squeeze like there's no tomorrow. Then squeeze again.
2. Watch Your Oil Temperature: This is the one tip that I struggle with mainly because I don't do much frying at home. So I usually end up heating my oil too much and burning the outside of my latkes and then the insides aren't even cooked all the way through. My dad always puts a pinch of the latke mixture into the pan before frying up the latkes. If it's at medium heat and it still sizzles, the oil is ready.
3. Finesse Your Timing. Or Don't: In our family, we eat the latkes to order. So some of us will have a few while the others don't yet have one and my dad is standing cooking them off the whole time. While I generally love sitting down to eat together as a family, latke season is the one exception. After resting for a moment on a paper towel to drain, they're really best right out of the skillet. That being said, if you're serving them for a party or would rather set out a large plate for folks to serve themselves, you most certainly can set the oven to 300 F to keep cooked latkes warm while you cook off remaining ones.
Do you make latkes? What are your tips?
Related: A Few Keys to Transcendant Latkes
(Image: Emma Christensen)
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Latkes are the most difficult thing I've ever cooked. I made them only once and will be sticking to my grandmother's for as long as she is able to make them. My tip is use a cast iron pan. I had two pans going- once cast iron and one non-stick. The non-stick latkes were a disaster. Greasy and unevenly cooked. Cast iron retains an even frying temperature, producing crisp, delicious latkes. But they are still a pain in the neck to make and result in you calling your Bubbe to thank her for her labors of Hanukahs past. And you should do that anyway . . .
Helpful tips. I may even attempt them again.
Megan, you are spot-on ... especially #1 because it's crucial (I hate this step & love my tea towels to make it take less time). Regarding #3, yes, latkes are so delicious. They will crowd your kitchen because people want them hot & crispy (it's hard to even get them to the oven). My tip: always warm leftover latkes (and french fries & roasted potatoes) in the oven to get the crispy texture back ... sit aluminum foil on top to keep them from getting darker. Microwave reheating is just wrong for these.
Love Trader Joe's Vegetable Birds' Nests (vegetable latkes) when I'm lazy; but, they taste very different from potato latkes.
Latkes, vegetable croquettes, bacon and pancakes. All good reasons to get an electric skillet. It keeps even temp, holds at "warm" and you can cook enough for 6 people at a time.
I've been making potato latkes since I married my Jewish husband over twenty-two years ago. This is what I've learned.
Store your potatoes in a dark cool, not cold place. If you refrigerate your potatoes, they will turn brown when you grate them. Use starchy potatoes. I've tried Yukon Golds but Idaho Russets work best. Strain your potatoes over a bowl. Discard the liquid but mix back in the starch that settles to the bottom. The potato starch is the 'glue' that will hold the grated potato pieces together. If you forget to save the starch, you can stir in a teaspoon or two of dried potato starch. You can make slight adjustments to your latkes--if you like 'cakey' latkes, add a bit more flour; if you like 'crunchy' latkes, add a bit more motzah meal. Make sure your oil is hot before you start frying!!! Drop them into the oil in tablespoons and then flatten them a bit with a fork. Last of all, don't get fixated with making perfectly shaped latkes! They are supposed to be homey and irregularly shaped.
Hope this helps--and enjoy the seasonal goodness.
I use the tiniest bit of flour and a little bit of cream of tartar- the latter keeps the outside crunchy but gives it a little lift in the middle.
I also use a slotted spoon for putting them into the frying pan. I push any extra liquid out after I scoop and then put it into the frying pan- heavier pans are better though I usually end up running two or even three pans at a time.
So delish! (family and friends rave about my latkes...
For years we've gotten together with family and everyone brings their electric skillet and each family makes their own since everyone likes them their way. It's always fun to get together and I think more latke eating happens next to the skillet then at the table.
Another good rule is to make them outside (weather permitting) to keep your house from smelling like latkes for days!
I remember watching a NY Times Video a few years ago where they interviewed an elderly eastern European Jewish woman about her latke-making tricks. She actually didn't drain or strain the potatos at all, and she grated them on the finer part of her grater. She said the idea was to get it really mushy so that the latke was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I've never tried it myself, but I've definitely had a lot of latkes that were more in this style, especially among more traditional Jewish cooks. I think the desire for crispy, flaky potato shreds is a more modern thing. Correct me if I'm wrong, though...
I endorse everything magzeen said.
I am shocked that people think latkes are hard to make. I don't understand. Grate, squeeze, mix, fry. I use my mom's recipe for latkes that are on the healthier size. They have shredded potato, carrot, zuchini, and flat parsley in them and are fried in just a little more oil than you would just for pancakes.
The number one rule though is homemade applesauce.
I've never had any trouble making latkes, but I have certainly eaten bad ones. What the bad ones have had in common is zero potato texture--they're grated down to absolute mush. I HAVE had good latkes with super-finely grated (used a ricer?) potatoes, but the cook was a latke master and they were ethereal and beautiful. So, if you have trouble with latkes, use the bigger holes on your box grater and see if that helps.
As part of #1 -- use cheesecloth to ring out the water from your potatoes, but save that water!! The starch from the potatoes will sink to the bottom and then you can pour off the water and use that starch instead of extra potato starch. It will add enough binding along with eggs.
I happened on to Food Network recently and saw Anne Burrell's interesting twist on latkes.....instead of flour, she uses mashed potatoes. Has anyone made this recipe? I haven't had the chance to but will soon. Putting more potato in potato pancakes sounds pretty yummy.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/potato-pancakes-recipe/index.html
I use the shredding disc on the food processor instead. Sooo much easier than grating them up by hand, especially for a crowd.
Latkas are easy! Just use smitten kitchen's ratio and directions. I have made 15libs at a time for the past 3 years and they come out perfect.
I always make them a few weeks before I want to serve, freeze, and pop them in the oven to thaw and crisp up. Then all my guests can eat at the same time.
If you are looking for a great applesauce recipe, I highly recommend Alton Brown's 10 minute applesauce. It keeps for a very long time in the fridge.
My husband's favourite dish is very similar to latkes -- bramboraky, a Czech potato pancake made with raw potatoes (not to be confused with Czech potato pancakes made with cooked potatoes and cooked on a dry skillet -- bramborove placky).
The difference between bramboraky and latkes is that you definitely put flour in a bramborak (and if it is too thick, you add a little milk to get the right consistency), and they are flavoured with garlic (we love garlicky ones), and lots of marjoram. The best ones are fried in pork fat or duck fat if you can find them; oil does not heighten the flavours as much, or result in the same golden perfection.
Other quirks:
- Only cast iron works well in my experience.
- They are a lot of work -- I've tried using a food processor for the potatoes, but you only get the right texture with a box grater.
- In the CR they have different potatoes, but you are only supposed to use old (and therefore starchy) potatoes for bramboraky; you get a crispy exterior, and soft, creamy (garlicky) interior.
- If the potatoes are not old and starchy, you will have watery potatoes after grating and so will need to drain them before adding the egg, etc.
Here's a general recipe -- they are heaven with a Czech beer -- either a Pilsner or a Budvar.
http://czechmatediary.com/2007/11/07/another-classic-czech-recipe-bramboraks-potato-pancakes-bramboraky/