Posssibly the Best Latkes We Have Ever Eaten (Sorry, Bubbe)
If you have ever eaten a latke (potato pancake) in a restaurant and then tried to replicate the experience at home, you will know what I mean when I say that disappointment is part of the process. I don’t care how good your recipe is, your latkes probably don’t turn out like the tall, frisbee-sized discs at the 2nd Avenue Deli, Barney Greengrass, or Katz’s. Generally, the home version of the latke game show involves flat, slippery, and brown rounds that would be better used as coasters than as dinner. So why bother?
Many people don’t. This time of year, you’ll see huge stacks of potato pancakes at Eli’s and Zabars–towers taller than a child– and people who have suffered through bad latkes in years past are willing to shell out $2-$4 per latke to avoid repeating the experience. Not that there’s anything wrong with purchasing your latkes from a deli or a restaurant, but we’ll let you in on a secret: with a little help, you can make better latkes at home. Seriously. Better. And they’re easy too.
Of all the recipes we’ve created and all the time we’ve spent cooking this past year, we are probably most proud of this one: not only are these latkes sublimely delicious, they are better than anything we’ve ever eaten in a Jewish deli in New York. And given the quality of the latkes at every place I’ve mentioned in this post, that is saying something. Our secret (no longer a secret) isn’t a new ingredient but a slight departure from traditional latke methodologies: we take half the potatoes used and boil and mash them before adding them to the shredded potatoes. You can get away with using 1/3 of the potatoes, if you prefer lots of shreds, but frankly, the latkes that we have made with half-and-half combinations of potatoes have been very light and crisp. Yes, I did just use the word “light” to describe a latke, and I’m not lying.
The pre-mashing of half the potatoes creates a natural matrix for very thick latkes and allows you to add a little architectural height to the pancake without adding bulk. When only shredded potatoes are used, they tend to spread, even with a substantial amount of egg and matzoh meal to bind the pancakes together. In this recipe, the height of the patty at the beginning is the height of the patty at the end– you are limited only by your imagination and supply of vegetable or corn oil!
Just a few hints before you begin: (1) Be sure to use at least 1/4-1/2″ of oil and heat this oil to somewhere between 250°F and 320°F. This is a lower temperature than you’d normally use for deep frying, and that’s because you’re not really deep frying the latkes; you’re shallow frying them. If the oil is too hot, the latkes won’t cook properly in the middle. Our rule of thumb is that if the latkes are very slightly browned after 2 minutes, the oil is probably at the right temperature. You don’t even need a frying thermometer. (2) Don’t skimp on the squeezing! Wet shredded potatoes make slimy latkes. There’s a picture of me squeezing the shredded potatoes (not the mashed ones) on our Flickr page, if you want to see what this looks like. (3) Use about 1 medium onion for every three potatoes or one large onion for four potatoes. If you like more oniony latkes, you can increase the onions by as much as half, as long as you double the amount of matzoh meal (or flour) you use. (4) Eat the latkes immediately after you make them, if you can. This is when they are best. If you really need to store them, freeze them, even if you’re only keeping them for a day or so– refrigerating latkes makes them soggy and rubbery, but freezing preserves some of the original texture. If you do need to reheat them, do so in a toaster oven or regular oven and slowly increase the temperature until the latkes re-crisp. But honestly, you’re fooling yourself if you think there are going to be any left to save. Just be ready with a fork and the sour cream!
Mind-blowing Homemade Latkes
2 3/4 lbs. (1.25 kg.) white potatoes (about 4 medium potatoes)
1 large onion
2 eggs, well beaten
1.5 Tablespoons matzoh meal (or flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Peel and cut half of the potatoes into one-inch chunks. Boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes). Drain and pass through a food mill (or process smooth in a food processor). Sprinkle matzoh meal on top of this. In a large bowl, shred one large onion. Then shred both peeled potatoes into the onion, mixing together the potato shreds with the onion to keep the potato threads from discoloring. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from onion-potato mixture by placing the shredded vegetables into a piece of cheesecloth and twisting until no more liquid can be extracted. Return to large, dry bowl and add egg, pepper, and salt. Add the puréed/milled potatoes to the shredded potatoes and combine thoroughly. Form into palm-sized patties that are about 1/2 to 3/4 inches high. Fry these patties in 1/4 to 1/2 inches of corn oil (do NOT use olive oil) . The patties will need to cook for about 5 minutes on the first side, so if they do more than go slightly brown after a minute or two, your oil is too hot. Flip after five minutes with a spatula and fork and cook on the other side for about 2 minutes, or until dark golden brown. Drain thoroughly on paper towels. Serve with applesauce, salt, and sour cream. Makes approximately 10 latkes.
2005 nycnosh.com
OH MY GOD. I just made these and they are incredible. You are not lying. I am sending this to all my friends right now. adrienne
Comment by Adrienne — January 4, 2006 @ 3:28 pm
will try these this afternoon. I too have suffered from making horrible latkes. Am always distressed on how something that seems so simple cannot be done in my kitchen. Hope this recipe is the answer to my latke woes. thanks Rugelach recipe soon please!
Comment by alicia — January 6, 2006 @ 8:33 pm
Excellent. Send us an e-mail and let us know how they turned out!
Comment by Nosher — January 7, 2006 @ 5:18 pm
well, definitely try to add a lil of marjoram.. it tastes wonderful
and it is really easy… ! 
Comment by Aika — February 10, 2006 @ 5:04 pm
I just realized you have a slightly different recipe… I guess I will need to write more about czech kitchen as well
)) A typical czech potato cake is a lil different but is amazing… umm… once i open the dictionary.. i will leave a new recipe in here:)
Comment by Aika — February 10, 2006 @ 5:08 pm
I made your latke recipe last night and they were unbelievably scrumptious. I strongly urge anyone who needs a real treat to get your butt in the kitchen and make some now! I’ve tried numerous latke recipes and techniques and while some have been very good, these were by far the best yet. I had to cook them in two batches because I was concerned that if I tried to fit them all into the pan at once that the oil would cool down too much and leave them greasy. I served them with homemade applesauce and sour cream.
Comment by Lisa — October 13, 2006 @ 8:18 am
So glad they turned out well for you, Lisa! Mashing half the potatoes really makes a radical difference. Smart too, that you didn’t cook them all at once– hot oil is key.
Comment by Nosher — October 13, 2006 @ 10:33 am
I’m going to try the potato latke recipe. How many latkes does the recipe make? I’m having 24 people.
Thanks!
Comment by Lynne Leonard — December 15, 2006 @ 11:11 am
Hi Lynne,
Good question. This recipe made about 10-12 for us recently, but it depends on the size of the latkes, of course. If I were having 24 people over, I’d probably triple this recipe and work with 2 pans of oil (just to make sure you’re not in the kitchen for a month).
Nosher
Comment by Nosher — December 15, 2006 @ 3:07 pm
I made these for the first time this Hannukkah. They were easier to make than any of the other ones. I’m known for making good latkes, but this time, people were just raving about them. I have to say, I don’t really like potatoes or greasy latkes, but I ate about 15 of them. They were out of this world. You should post recipes for briskets and other holiday treats.
Thank you!!
Comment by Paula — December 21, 2006 @ 7:41 am
This recipe was great. My company loved them so much!
Comment by bonnie — December 21, 2006 @ 7:47 pm
Thanks Bonnie & Paula– we aim to please. We just made them for a celebration in Tampa and discovered just how important it is to keep a close eye on the potatoes. Don’t let them get too waterlogged, or else you’ll end up having to dry out the batter a bit with flour. Not the end of the world, by any means, but these latkes are always best when the potato mixture is as dry as a bone before the egg is added.
Comment by Nosher — December 23, 2006 @ 2:34 pm
What an awesome recipe - Im going to try this one out for sure. Ive got a recipe on my blog for Parsnip and Potato Mash Pancakes. No photos though - Im not yet that efficient as you at this blogging caper.
http://makesomemash.blogspot.com/2007/03/parsnip-and-potato-mash-pancakes.html
Maybe we could do a recipe swap?
Comment by Phil — March 16, 2007 @ 2:36 am
We love parsnips, so we’ll be delighted to give your recipe a try, Phil.
Comment by Nosher — March 16, 2007 @ 3:06 am
I make great latkes, but I will definitely give this recipe a try. Why not use olive oil though? Cause it will alter the flavor? I use olive oil for everything cause it is healthier and it works beautifully. So, why not olive oil?
Comment by Sharon — September 4, 2007 @ 11:03 pm
PS also do you have a great recipe for noodle pudding?
Comment by Sharon — September 5, 2007 @ 6:08 pm
Hi Sharon,
You could certainly use olive oil, but if you use the good stuff, it has a flavor that while pleasant enough, isn’t really quite in the style of most traditional latke recipes. You can use other monounsaturated fats if you like, and if you want a totally neutral, very high smoke point oil, apricot kernel oil works very well.
And yes, we have a great kugel–a sweet one–that we make every chance we get. It’s not our own recipe though, so we’ll add it to our list of dishes to play around with and see if we can create a perfect kugel!
Comment by Nosher — September 6, 2007 @ 12:49 am
Wow, you’re not kidding! I tried this recipe and they are definitely the very best latkes I’ve ever tasted. I gave them a try ahead of time to see if maybe I’d like to make them for Hanukkah, and the answer is an enthusiastic YES! My husband doesn’t want me to wait that long.
Comment by Lauren — November 12, 2007 @ 12:01 am
Fantastic recipe. We just fed them to nine college kids and every last one disappeared, and I made a mountain of them. My husband just said they were the best latkes he had ever had. Thanks for the recipe!
Comment by Jocelyn — December 6, 2007 @ 10:23 pm
Hi:
I am going to try my hand at this for the very first time. I am making these for my sons class. A little girl in his class is a little sad that we are not celebrating Jewish holiday’s and I asked her her favorite treat this time of year and she said latkes. I hope I don’t mess it up!
Comment by Betty — December 17, 2007 @ 6:32 pm
Hi — I’ve been trying to make a good latke for years, but felt that I never had the right recipe. I plan to try yours. When you say “shred,” is this the same as grate? Can I do this by hand or does it have to be done with a food processor? Also, which do you prefer — flour or matzoh meal? I used flour and baking powder in a different recipe for the first time tonight, but the latkes had a bitter taste. I don’t know if it was the flour or the baking powder. Can’t wait to try your recipe! Thanks!
Judy
Comment by Judy — December 27, 2007 @ 8:55 pm