Our Deli-Style Potato Latkes recipe is made in the food processor! They are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Serve hot with lots of sour cream and applesauce!
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Latkes, which are wonderfully crispy potato pancakes, are the specialty of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. But really, it’s the oil, not the potatoes, that matters for the holiday. According to legend, ancient Jews used what little oil they had to rededicate their temple in Jerusalem, and the oil lasted eight days, which is why Jews light candles for eight nights.
Video: How to Make Potato Latkes
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Potato Latkes
The secret to crispy latkes
My dad was an engineer with chem envy and there was nothing he couldn’t figure out with a little trial and error, so he decided to solve this latke problem once and for all. He’s tried many things over the years, including grating the potatoes by hand into a bowl of grated onions. But when the food processor came, he found his solution.
He finally settled on this approach:
- He blended all the raw potatoes along with some onion in a food processor until the mixture was very smooth and mushy. He already knew that onions helped keep the potatoes from turning gray; that worked even better.
- He then wrapped the potato and onion mixture in a kitchen towel and squeezed out as much moisture as possible to make the mixture as dry as possible — this helps the latkes crisp.
- Then he added eggs, flour and spices and quickly fried the latkes.
Which potatoes are best for latkes?
In our many latke adventures, we’ve found that russets work best because they’re the starchiest potato and are readily available in every market, big and small.
Tips for the best potato latkes
To this day, I still make latkes using his method, with just a few minor changes.
- I press the potato and onion mixture into a cheesecloth instead of a kitchen towel since you can just throw the cheesecloth away afterwards. (It’s so much easier.)
- I also add a hand-grated potato to the mixture. This adds an appealing texture to the otherwise smooth and creamy latkes, and I love the combination.
- Soak peeled potatoes in water until ready to use, and after squeezing the potato and onion mixture into the cheesecloth, leave them curled up in the cheesecloth until you’re ready to mix the final latke batter .
- Some cooks make or buy lard made from chicken fat and use it to fry latkes. It works particularly well and gives the potato pancakes a distinctive flavor. Of course, vegetarians prefer oil.
- To fry the latkes, you only need a thin layer of oil in the pan, but it needs to be very hot. Not sure if it’s hot enough? A crust of bread should brown in 10 seconds. Add the latke batter, spoonful at a time, and allow the bases to brown nicely before turning.
Suggestions for serving latkes
I like to serve latkes in batches when they’re hot off the stove. If you’d rather serve them all at once, place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat the oven to 250°F. Transfer the cooked latkes to the baking sheet to keep warm until serving.
Every latke-loving family has tales of everyone standing around in the kitchen pestering the cook with hot, crunchy pancakes without waiting for them to cool. Don’t send her away. It’s the best way to eat latkes!
Add a bowl of sour cream for dipping and some applesauce if you like. Pass the napkins!
Store and freeze latkes
Latkes will keep in the fridge for 5 days. Simply wrap them in foil and heat in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, uncovered, in a 375°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
Latkes freeze well for a month, wrapped in foil and placed in a zip-top freezer bag. Heat without thawing in a 375°F oven on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer, loosely covered, for 10 minutes. Cover and heat for another 10 minutes or until hot throughout.
More Hanukkah specialties
- Beef Brisket Pot Roast
- Cocoa Coconut Macaroons
- applesauce
- Pressure cooker brisket
- Fish stew with ginger and tomatoes
Potato Latkes
ingredients
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1 1/2 pounds red potatoes (3 to 4 medium potatoes)
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1/2 medium onion
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2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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2 large eggs
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1 teaspoon of salt
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1/2 teaspoon black pepper
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About 1/4 cup canola oil, or more if needed
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1 cup sour cream for serving
special equipment
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food processor
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cheesecloth
method
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Prepare the potato and onion mixture:
Peel the potatoes and place in a bowl of cold water until needed (this will also help prevent graying). Chop 3 of the potatoes and onion into 1 inch pieces; leave the last potato in the water.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chopped potatoes and onions. Pulse the mixture until it forms a mushy puree, scraping down the sides of the work bowl once or twice.
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Squeeze the potato and onion mixture:
Fold a large square of cheesecloth onto itself until you have 4 layers and a roughly 12 inch square. Line a colander with the cheesecloth. Place the potato and onion mixture in the sieve.
Gather the corners of the cheesecloth around the potato and onion mixture and start to twist. Keep turning the lid and squeeze the ball of potatoes and onions with your hands to squeeze out as much liquid as possible (you can get up to a cup of liquid). After squeezing, leave the potato mixture in the cloth to reduce exposure to air (which can turn the potatoes gray).
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Grate the last potato:
Grate the potato on the coarse side of a box grater.
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Make the dough:
Transfer the potato mixture from the cheesecloth to a bowl. Add the grated potato, flour, eggs, salt and pepper. Mix well.
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Fry the latkes:
In a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it’s shimmering (a crust of bread will brown in 10 seconds), add large, generous spoonfuls of the batter to the pan (about 1/4 cup batter) – you’ll likely fit in 4 or 5 mounds. Use the bottom of the spoon to smooth out the mounds.
Bake for 3 minutes or until bottom is brown. Flip and cook until the other side is also browned, about 3 minutes longer.
Place on a plate lined with paper towels and allow excess fat to drip off. Continue cooking the remaining latkes in batches, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
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Surcharge:
Serve hot immediately, with sour cream or applesauce, or transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the 250F oven until ready to serve.
