Potato Latkes

I have had a love for cooking and baking since I was in my teens. During the first 10 years or so of my writing this blog, I had focused on dining in and dining out at the restaurants around the city as well as around the globe. This past year cooking became more prevalent again and in this series I will be posting my dishes and recipes for you to enjoy making at home.

Potato Latkes

Latkes (aka potato pancakes) to celebrate Hanukkah, made these delicious latkes for dinner with leftovers for a couple of days! Here is the recipe below! 

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds russet potatoes (4 large)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 white onion, peeled and chopped

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Avocado oil for frying 

INSTRUCTIONS

1). Boil the Potatoes Bring a large pot, halfway filled with water, to a boil. Add the potatoes. When the water returns to a boil set the time for 30 minutes. Remove potatoes from the pot. Let them cool for 15 minutes, then put them in the fridge – covered with foil – overnight.

2). Make the Latkes Line a baking tray with two layers of paper towels and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons avocado oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to brown. Transfer onions to a clean plate and leave them to cool. Don’t wash the onion pan – you’ll use it to fry the latkes.

3). While the onions are cooling, peel the potatoes. You can peel them by hand, with a vegetable peeler or with a knife. The skin will come off easily. Grate the potatoes into a large bowl, using the large holes in a hand or box grater. They’re extremely easy to grate. Add the beaten eggs, salt, pepper, flour and cooked onions. Toss gently to combine everything.

4). Pour enough oil into the skillet to come up to about 1/8 of an inch. Heat the pan over medium-high heat until the oil wrinkles – hot but not smoking. Form the latkes into any size you like by scooping with a tablespoon and using your hands to gently pat them into the desired shape. Lay each latke carefully into the hot oil after you form it, working in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes per side or until they are golden brown. Adjust the heat so they don’t burn and add more oil, as needed. Transfer cooked latkes to a paper-towel-lined tray. You can keep them warm in a 225ºF oven until ready to serve.

5). Serve latkes with unsweetened apple sauce. This recipe makes about 30 2 ½-inch latkes.

By: Richard Wolak

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