Potato Latkes come in many varieties. Take your pick!
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| Latke One |
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| Latke Two |
Latkes are a once a year endeavor. This year it happened twice.
But the truth is that if you follow a few rules making latkes is not such a gigantic effort. Or even a giant oily mess.
Unless of course you are making them for an enormous crowd in which case you will never have enough. So we won’t go there.
This year I made the normal latke that everyone makes.
I also decided to make Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe just to compare the differences between the two.
Now this wasn’t a scientific experiment but it was fun to analyze. Especially when it comes to putting them in one’s mouth.
My husband liked Yotam’s. It is lighter and sweeter due to the addition of parsnips.
It also only uses egg whites and it uses cornstarch instead of matzoh meal.
Plus he uses butter and oil to fry them in. They are very good. I, of course, liked both.
Key to making good latkes of either variety is watching the temperature of your oil. 375 degrees is about right.
The depth of the oil also matters. Between the two these key things really help prevent spattering.
Of course nothing prevents the smell of oil but a good exhaust fan does help.
And let’s be real, isn’t this how your house is supposed to smell at Hanukah?
There are many variations on latkes.
I’ve seen carrot latkes and sweet potato latkes. Parsnip is another one and the list goes on.
The type of potato is up for debate. Some prefer russets for their starch content, others prefer a waxy variety and Yotam prefers Yukon Golds.
I tried both. Honestly, anything fried gets a gold star in my book and I couldn’t tell the difference.
You might say it is because I haven’t eaten them in a year and don’t remember, but I think this is a genetic thing.
I mean a latke is always good-isn’t it?
So here goes: You decide. Either way you can’t go wrong.
My Hanukkah Menu:
Smoked Salmon Spread with Crackers
Yotam’s Hummus
Yotam’s Beet Mezze
Pita
Brisket
Latkes
Homemade Apple Sauce
Donuts with:
Chocolate Glaze
Caramel Glaze
Coffee Glaze
Plus lots of wine and friends. Many candles and lots of love!
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Recipe
Latke One or Latke Two?
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Total Time: 40 Minutes*
- Yield: 4 - 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Main Course/Side Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Jewish
Ingredients
Yotam Ottolenghi’s Latkes (attributed to Helen Goh) Latke #1
5 ½ c peeled and grated waxy potatoes
2 ¾ c peeled and grated parsnips
⅔ c finely chopped chives (I did not feel like spending $6 on chives so I used ½ of an onion)
4 egg whites
2 T cornstarch
5 T unsalted butter
6 ½ T sunflower oil (I used canola)
1 t salt
Pepper
Traditional Latkes
3 large peeled potatoes About 1 ½ pounds (I used a combo of russets and yukons.)
2 grated onions
4 T matzo meal or flour
1 t baking powder
2 eggs
1 t salt
¼ t black pepper
Canola oil
Instructions
Ottolenghi's Latkes
Rinse the grated potatoes in cold water. (I used the shredding disc on my food processor.) Drain in a colander and squeeze out any excess water. Then spread the potatoes on a dry kitchen towel to dry completely.
In a large bowl mix the potato, parsnips, chives or onion, egg whites, cornstarch, salt and plenty of black pepper.
Heat ½ the butter and ½ the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Use your hands to pick up portions of about 2 T of the latke mix. Squeeze firmly to remove some of the liquid and shape into patties about ⅜” thick.
Carefully place as many patties as can fit in the pan. Push them down gently and level them with the back of a spoon. Fry for 3 minutes on each side until they are completely brown on each side. Drain on paper towels and keep warm while you fry the rest using the reserved butter and oil.
Serve with sour cream, jam, sugar and apple sauce. And remember these do not need to be made just once a year.
Traditional Latkes
Using the steel blade of your food processor put in the potatoes and grind them to mush. Or you can shred some and mush some which is what I do so they have a bit of texture. Put in a colander and push out as much liquid as you can. At this point I also squeeze my mixture in a big piece of cheese cloth to extract as much moisture as possible.
Transfer to a bowl and add the shredded or chopped onion, matzoh meal, baking powder, eggs, salt and pepper and mix with hands until well combined. Heat oil at a medium temperature in a large skillet to the depth of about a ½ inch. (Mine is
nonstick, but a cast iron works really well, too.)
Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the pan. Fry over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side until both sides are brown and crisp.
Drain on paper towels or a paper grocery bag. Keep warm while frying the rest of the mixture. You may have to add more oil as necessary.
If you want to make these ahead-I put them in a very cold refrigerator or freezer. Then when you are ready to serve place them on a baking sheet into a preheated 450 oven for about 5 minutes. It works!
See serving suggestions above.
Meirav says
Mom's recipe for levivot:
2-3 coarsely grated potatoes
1 egg
a little bit of salt
1 tablespoon of potato Flour
mix all ingredients and fry, best with olive oil
Abbe says
I will have to try these! There are so many variations on latkes and I bet these are great!
Abbe says
Good question, Mr. Riffs! We will see who is at home. Next year I may get lucky as I hear Hanukah starts the day before Thanksgiving!
Kitchen Riffs says
I've never made latkes, although I've certainly eaten quite a few. This is one of those things I should get around to making someday. Both recipes look great! So, which version are you going to make next year? Or will you make both again? 😉
Abbe says
Thank you for that. Now I know what I'm singing when I sing " Oh Hanukah, Oh Hanukah". And I would love your mom's recipe. I remember in Fort Collins when she fried for the entire neighborhood. Lucky Na'ama. I'll bet she was fed well!
Meirav says
In Hebrew latkes are le-vi-vot. Mom makes great ones. I should ask her how she makes them. Did you know that Na'ama knew Yotam Ottolenghi’s brother?
love you,
Meirav