Potato Latkes
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Some foods evoke memories of the best times in one’s life, and offer comfort when things are rough - for me one of those foods is the humble Potato Latke. Traditionally eaten at Chanukah with applesauce and sour cream (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it), Latkes are a delicious reminder of getting by with not a lot and using what is available.
This recipe is a slightly adapted version of the one used by The Selfhelp Home, an elder-care facility focused on providing care and a community for older Jews many of whom were affected by the Holocaust.
Supplies
Software
- 3-4 large potatoes (Idaho/russet variety)
- 1 large onion (white, yellow, or sweet)
- 5 tablespoons salt
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon pepper (optional)
- 5 eggs
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- About 1 cup of oil for frying (vegetable preferred, you’ll want a neutral oil with a high smoke point)
- Applesauce (bonus “recipe” in Step 4) and sour cream to serve with
Hardware
- Vegetable peeler and small knife
- Food processor with grating attachment or a box grater
- Clean dish towel, cheese cloth, or your hands
- Large mixing bowl and spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large frying pan and spatula
- Baking sheet lined with paper towel or brown paper (grocery bags work well)
Prepping the Tubers
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- Add oil to your frying pan and heat over medium heat
- Peel the potatoes and onion and rinse with water
- Using the food processor or box grater, grate the potato and onion
- Place the grated potatoes and onions in the towel/cheese cloth and squeeze firmly (be sure to do this over your sink or a container, a lot of liquid will come out)
- Place the squeezed potatoes and onions into the bowl and add the eggs, salt, pepper, and flour; mix to combine
Into the Fire
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- Using your fingers (or a spoon) scoop out a golf ball-sized amount of the potato mixture and form into a disc with your hands (about 1/2 inch thick)
- Place the disc (CAREFULLY) into the hot oil
- Repeat with additional balls of mixture until your pan has one full layer (usually 6-7 discs)
Serve It Up
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- Allow to cook on the bottom side until golden brown (about 6 minutes) then flip using the spatula and cook an additional 6 minutes (or until browned on both sides)
- Remove to paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain excess oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt
- Repeat with additional potato mixture
- Serve alongside applesauce and sour cream, and enjoy!
Bonus! Applesauce
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You’ll Need...
Software
- Apples (I’m using a mixture of what my store had available - Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala; 6 apples used here but you could easily do more and can/jar extra sauce for later)
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch each of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg (optional)
- Lemon juice (optional)
Hardware
- Large pot and mixing spoon
- Cutting board and knife
- Food mill (if you don’t have one, you can peel your apples and cut out the cores) over a large bowl
How To
- Wash your apples and cut them into a medium/large dice (if you don’t have a food mill you’ll want to peel and core them first)
- Place them into the pot over medium heat with 1/4 of water (just enough to keep it moving around) and cover
- Cook until very soft (about 15 minutes), stirring every 5 minutes or so to be sure they don’t burn
- Remove the lid and cook an additional few minutes to allow some excess liquid to boil off (you want it damp, but not like soup)
- Using the mixing spoon, transfer the apples to the food mill and crank them through to mash them, while also removing the seeds and peels
- Stir in the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger; taste for seasoning and add lemon juice or other spices if desired
- Allow to cool slightly, and enjoy!