The purest for the purist: Crispy, delicious latkes for Hanukkah

By Michael Natkin, Jewish Sound Columnist

An all-out hanukkah latke binge is something I look forward to every year, and I’m a purist. Please do not darken my doorstep with tales of pumpkin-chipotle latkes or Thai-spice latkes. For me, a latke should contain: Russet potato, onion, egg, salt, and be fried in a decent amount of oil, and then be served with applesauce and sour cream, and more salt.

I know some cooks swear by adding flour, corn starch, potato starch, or even the natural starch that floats away from your grated potatoes to the latke mixture. I find this only tends to make them gummy, and isn’t at all necessary to get them to bind. The potato and egg will easily bind into a beautiful latke with a crisp, golden brown surface.

We do want the latkes to be as crispy as possible, and preferably served fresh from the frying pan. The ideal way to do that is make them for, say, four people, or make them for a crowd but serve them standing up, spatulating direct to the diner’s plate. If that isn’t possible, the next best thing is to fry as many at a time as possible, keep them on a baking sheet, and quickly re-crisp at 400º.

I generally use the grating disc on the food processor to cut the potatoes, but you can also use a box grater and do it by hand if you don’t mind a little workout. The texture of the food processor grated ones is a little different and I slightly prefer it. Either way, the grating must be done not long before frying or the potatoes will oxidize to an unappetizing black. If you must grate them early, try putting plastic wrap tightly down on the surface and refrigerating. You can also crush an unflavored vitamin C tablet and mix it in with the potatoes as an anti-oxidant.

Whatever else you have with a latke meal should be considered a mere formality, since inevitably everyone will stuff themselves on the cakes. I’ve provided the recipe in terms of ratio to a pound of potato. For my family, I need nearly one pound per person. Seriously.

A note about kosher salt: I always use Diamond Crystal brand. It is “fluffier” and therefore weighs less by volume than Morton’s. The best option is always to measure by weight, but if you are going by volume and not using Diamond Crystal, reduce all amounts by around 40 percent.

 

Potato Latkes

Vegetarian and gluten-free

Multiply as needed to use 450 grams/1 lb. potato per person as a main course or half that as an appetizer (unimaginable, but just in case)

450 grams (1 lb.) Russet potato, peeled

115 grams (1/4 lb.) onion, preferably white but yellow is okay, peeled

Kosher salt

1 egg (60 grams), beaten

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Vegetable oil for frying (lots)

Maldon salt or fleur de sel

In a food processor or on a box grater, grate the potato and onion and mix together. Mix in 5 grams (1-1/2 tsp.) of kosher salt for every 450 grams of potato you started with, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes.

Uncover, squeeze down a bit and drain off excess water from the bowl. Now, working a handful or two at a time, use either a potato ricer to squeeze out the water, or wrap the potatoes in a double layer of cheesecloth or a clean dish towel and wring the liquid out of them. Hard. Go to town. Wrap the gathered ends of the cloth around the handle of a wooden spoon and twist for extra leverage. Get them as dry as possible. Really. This makes a huge difference.

Mix in the eggs and pepper and another 1.75 grams (1/2 tsp.) of salt, since much of the original salt will have washed away. I find the best way to do this is with my hands.

In a large skillet, heat at least 1/8 inch of oil over a medium-high flame. The easiest way to have sub-par latkes is to not use enough oil. (If you are feeling your oats, you can use two or more large skillets at once.) A bit of potato thrown in should immediately sizzle, but the oil shouldn’t be smoking. You can use less oil, but they will be less delicious.

Depending on what size you like your latkes, grab about 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of potato, and add it to the oil. Immediately flatten to about 1/3 inch. You don’t want much thickness because the inside has to cook before the outside burns. Form the rest of the latkes the same way.

When the first side is a dark, deep brown (see picture above), flip and continue cooking. When both sides are done, remove to a plate lined with paper towel. Sprinkle on a bit of the Maldon salt or fleur de sel.

Be sure and taste one of the first ones to make sure it is cooked through. If not, reduce the heat a bit or make the next batch thinner. Try not to eat all of them yourself.

Serve with applesauce, sour cream and more salt on the side.

 

Local food writer and chef Michael Natkin’s cookbook “Herbivoracious, A Flavor Revolution with 150 Vibrant and Original Vegetarian Recipes,” was a finalist in 2013 for a James Beard award. The recipes are based on his food blog, herbivoracious.com.