Being a lover of all things fabulous, delicious, educational, inspirational and fun, let’s kick off the holiday season with a miraculous Jewish tradition, latkes–which reflects the “miracle” of Hanukkah.
The Miracle of Hanukkah
It happened more than 2,200 years ago when the Jews thought they had only enough oil to light the temple’s menorah candles for one night. To their shock and delight, the candle burned for eight glorious nights. This is why foods cooked in oil are a common element of the holiday observance.
Hanukkah starts tomorrow, Sunday, December 6, and in honor of my many friends and family who will commence this eight-day celebration, let this be your new latke recipe of choice. And if you’re not Jewish, these absolutely delectable crispy potato latkes are begging to join your family table.
Flourless Latkes
Even though I am merely 1/16th Jewish, it was my German ancestors who made wickedly good Kartoffel puffers (potato pancakes). Unlike the traditional German potato pancakes, this particular recipe for Jewish latkes uses no flour and becomes super crispy.
Perfected by the inimitable team at America’s Test Kitchen, latkes are traditionally served with brisket during this holiday. However, no one would argue if they were topped with a savory dollop of sour cream and smoked salmon or a sweet spoonful of applesauce with a sprinkle of cinnamon–or one of each. Start any Sunday morning with an exclamation point and serve these latkes topped with a slice of fried ham, a poached egg and a generous dose of an easy blender hollandaise sauce.
David said these latkes are one of the best things I have made and that’s quite a statement from my biggest fan and critic.
Nourish our Souls
According to experts, there is a folk proverb suggesting that latkes, while absolutely heavenly to eat, also teach us that we cannot live by miracles alone. The proverb purports that if we work towards our goals, feed our bodies and nourish our souls, we will live fulfilling lives.
And these latkes do a superb job of feeding our bodies and nourishing our souls.
Chag Sameach (happy holidays) and buen provecho!
Crispy Potato Latkes
Potato pancakes have been a part of my cultural and culinary heritage and identity for as long as I can remember. The German variety I grew up on includes flour in the recipe, whereas these particular Jewish potato latkes have no gluten. We topped ours with egg, ham and hollandaise sauce and were thrilled with the results. They would be equally good served with brisket or a side of applesauce and a sprinkle of cinnamon or for a savory punch a scoop of sour cream, smoked salmon and minced chives.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes unpeeled, scrubbed and shredded
- 1/2 cup yellow onion grated
- 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 2 large pastured eggs beaten
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
- Vegetable, grapeseed or olive oil for cooking
- Maldon or similar flaky salt for seasoning after they are cooked
- Applesauce and sour cream for garnish, optional
Instructions
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Using a box grater, shred the potatoes and onion and then place grated potatoes and onion in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt. Toss well to combine and let sit for about 10 minutes.
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Get a large glass measuring cup, a microwave-safe bowl and a clean kitchen towel. Place half of the potato-onion mixture in the center. Gather the edges of the towel together and twist tightly to drain as much liquid as possible, reserving the liquid in the liquid measuring cup.
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Using the additional bowl, drop the drained potato mixture and set aside. Repeat process with the remaining potato-onion mixture, and adding the liquid to the measuring cup again. You will collect about 1 cup of liquid. Set the liquid aside and allow it to rest for five minutes so the starch settles at the bottom.
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Place the bowl of the potato-onion mixture in the microwave until just warm, heating it for 2 minutes, stirring with a fork every 30 seconds so everything gets warmed through.
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Spread the potato-onion mixture on a clean baking sheet and let cool for 10 minutes. Set the bowl aside as you will use it to blend the potato pancakes.
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Pour off excess liquid from the potato liquid leaving behind only the potato starch in the bottom of the measuring cup. Add two eggs to the potato starch and beat lightly to mix everything together. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the cup to get all of the potato starch incorporated into the eggs.
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Scoop the potato-onion mixture from the baking sheet back into the bowl, add egg mixture (scraping any remaining starch that might be left in the bottom of the measuring cup), parsley and stir until evenly combined.
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Set a 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 1/2 inch oil. Heat until shimmering but not smoking. Place 1/4-1/2 cup mound of potato mixture in oil and press with the back of a spatula to flatten into a disk. Repeat to fill pan--I was able to make three potato pancakes at a time. Cook and adjust the heat so the oil bubbles around the latke edges, until golden brown on the bottom, about 3-5 minutes.
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Flip carefully and continue browning on the other side until crispy and golden, about 3 more minutes.
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Drain on paper towel-lined plate and season with Maldon salt or similar flaky salt.
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Alternatively, if you are making a lot of latkes, reserve the cooked latkes on a baking sheet in a preheated 250 degree oven to stay warm.
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Repeat with remaining potato mixture, adding more oil as needed between batches. Serve immediately with brisket, sour cream, smoked salmon and/or applesauce.
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