AlwaysHolidays: The Latke Recipe

Jeff Zalaznick — December 15, 2009

AlwaysHungry’s latkes being fried.

It is very important that you have a good latke recipe to accompany your Hannukah candlelighting. Everyone has their grandma’s recipe that they love, but if you are looking to hone your craft a little bit further, this should be of assistance.

There are many different ways to make latkes, but after a variety of attempts I think that we have found perfection. The variables that we looked at included onions, eggs, oil type, grate/purée, size, matzoh meal inclusion, and potato drying technique. Our conclusion was to caramelize the onions in chicken fat, go half and half with the potatoes in the grater and food processor, dry the hell out of the potatoes (first through a strainer and then by utilizing the “jelly roll towel” technique), and finally, to fry the pancakes in a combination of chicken fat and peanut oil.

Nothing groundbreaking, but a few minor tweaks that can take your pancakes to the next level. And of course, you should listen to this while you make them.

Ingredients:

2 sweet onions, chopped
2 tbsp rendered chicken fat “Schmaltz”
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
TT salt and pepper
10 Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled
2 whole large eggs
1 yolk from large egg
Peanut oil, for frying
Rendered chicken fat “Schmaltz,” for frying
1 bunch chives, finely chopped

 

Procedure:

1. Caramelize the onions in a sauté pan with two tablespoons of chicken fat and two tablespoons of olive oil. Add sugar. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

 

2. Grate half of the potatoes into an empty bowl. Blend the remaining potatoes in a food processor until smooth. Mix together the puréed and grated potatoes.

 

3. Place potato mixture into a colander that is sitting over an empty bowl. Salt the mixture and let it drain for ten minutes.

 

4. Use the “jelly roll towel” technique to further dry the potatoes, then return them to an empty bowl.

 

5. Add the caramelized onions, eggs, and egg yolk to the potatoes and mix until fully incorporated.

6. Heat equal parts peanut oil and chicken fat in a pan, make sure that it is hot but not smoking.

7. Grab loose, palm-sized balls of the mixture, place in pan, flatten with a fork, and fry pancakes for two minutes on each side, until golden brown.

8. Transfer to paper towel and drain.

9. Plate, top with chives, and serve with sour cream and applesauce.