Recipe: Perfect Crispy Latkes

In the mood for something savory, crunchy and mouth-wateringly delicious? Add this recipe for latkes by Tori Avey to your menu.

What’s a latke, you may ask? It’s a traditional dish made from potatoes, eggs, onion, and salt and pepper to celebrate Hanukkah. Tori shares their history on her website, where you’ll find the complete recipe — along with a variety of other options for making them. But we’ve got a few of the details on how to make this delicious bite-sized and deep-fried “snack” here.

Kitchen accessories you will need:

Tea towel or cheesecloth
Food processor (and/or hand grater)
Skillet
Large and medium mixing bowls
Metal spatula
Colander
Fork
Cooling rack

Ingredients:

2-1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes
1 large white or brown onion, shredded
3/4-cup matzo meal or bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp potato starch
1-1/4 tsp salt, or more to taste
1/2 tsp pepper
Peanut or grapeseed oil for frying (about 1-1/2 cups)
1/4-cup schmaltz (optional)

Method:

1. Cut the potatoes into large chunks. Shred with your food processor or hand grater. Cover with cold water.

2. Grate onion using fine-hole grater/food processor.
3. Drain potatoes in colander. Thoroughly dry by placing potatoes in tea towel/cheesecloth and squeezing out all of the liquid.
4. Mix potatoes and onions together evenly in bowl.
5. Add 1/8” oil to your skillet. Add 1/4-cup schmaltz (optional) to the oil. Heat slowly over Medium.
6. While the oil is heating, use a fork to stir the matzo meal, beaten eggs, potato starch, salt and pepper (to taste) into the potato and onion mixture.
7. Scoop and shape 3 Tbsp of the potato mixture into a disk. Place in hot oil to cook.