Latkes

Photo credit: Mordu

These crispy potato pancakes are a Hanukkah staple. Top them with applesauce or sour cream for a savory and satisfying treat. 

Yield: 25 latkes 

Ingredients 

• 1 large onion (approximately ¾ c. or 175 ml) 
• 2 lb. (900 g) Russet potatoes 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) salt 
• ½ tsp. (2.5 ml) black pepper 
• ½ tsp. (2.5 ml) garlic powder 
• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) olive oil 

Instructions 

1. Set the oven to warm (170°F or 75°C). Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet. 
2. Peel the onion, quarter it, then process it in the food processor until it’s finely chopped. Put in a colander and place the colander on top of a bowl. 
3. Using the fine shredding disc of your food processor, shred the potatoes. Place them in the colander with the onions. 
4. Use your clean hands to mix the onion and potatoes. Press on the mixture with your hands repeatedly to extract as much liquid as you can into the bowl. This is the most important step. The drier the mixture is, the crispier the latkes will turn out, and the less risk of them falling apart. Resist the temptation to add flour to help absorb the liquid: it is unnecessary and will result in suboptimal results. 
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add the drained onion/potato mixture and use a fork to mix well. 
6. Heat the oil in a 12’’ (30 cm) nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. The oil should cover the bottom of the skillet and be about ½’’ (just over 1 cm) deep. 
7. Spoon about 2 tbsp. of mixture per pancake into the skillet, pressing on them a little with a spatula to flatten. You should be able to fry 4 latkes at a time. (Pro tip: Try two skillets simultaneously to cut the frying time in half!) 
8. Cook the latkes until the underside is browned, about 5 minutes. Turn them over and cook until the other side is browned, about 5 more minutes. 
9. Transfer the cooked latkes to paper towels to drain, then place on the cooling rack on the baking sheet and keep them in the warm oven while you finish frying. Between batches, mix the egg and potato mixture to keep it from separating. 
10. These can be prepared a day in advance and reheated in a hot oven.