Potato pancakes, or “latkes” are traditional Hanukkah fare. And while it’s not Hanukkah time and I’m not Jewish, I thought these looked like an awesome thing to try.
(They are.)
Some people serve them with apple sauce or sour cream. Another faction serves them with a fried egg on top. The best idea I’ve come across is to top them with slices of pear and brie. Your call! I can’t imagine them being anything other than delicious.
The recipe yields a lot, but the good news is that you can re-crisp them by popping leftovers into the oven at 400 °F for just a few minutes. They do taste almost as good the next day.
Ingredients
1 large baking potato
1 small onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
Peel the potato and onion and coarsely shred them into strips. (I used the grater on my mandoline, but you could also use a food processor or a box grater.) Use a cheesecloth or a colander to squeeze the vegetables as dry as possible. Let stand for 2 minutes, then squeeze dry again.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, egg, salt and pepper together. Stir in the potato onion mixture until all pieces are evenly coated.
In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until simmering. Drop small circles of the potato mixture into the skillet, flattening them with the back of a spoon if necessary.
Cook over moderately high heat until the edges are golden, about 1-1/2 minutes; Flip and cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minute.
Drain excess oil on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as needed. You can keep finished latkes heated in the oven at 200 °F while you’re making the rest so they’re all hot and ready to go at the same time.
