The latke is the perennial favorite of the Hanukkah holiday; they are often eaten every day of Hanukkah. These delicate crispy potato pancakes are delightfully crunchy on the outside and hot and soft inside.
Why Try? It wouldn’t seem like Hanukkah without them!
Latkes can be served as a side dish or as a platform for toppings beyond the traditional. Try serving a platter of latke with a Meze of salads and dips.
Ingredients
- 1 large bag russet baking potatoes (approx. 2 1/2 lbs.)
- 2 small yellow onions
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons Matzo ball mix
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Preparation
- 1 Trim the blossom end (opposite from stem - root end) of onions. Peel onions and place trimmed side down on the large shredding plate of a food processor. Shred down to stem and discard stem.
- 2 Reserve shredded onions in all their juice.
- 3 Peel, cut and shred potatoes on same shredder. Drain off some of the liquid from the potatoes and quickly mix with onions. The acidic juice from the onions will help prevent browning of potatoes.
- 4 Heat a heavy skillet with 1/2’ of vegetable oil over medium to high heat to approximately 350ºF.
- 5 Beat eggs, add Matzo ball mix, salt and baking powder. Blend well.
- 6 Drain excess liquid from potato and onion mixture.
- 7 Add egg mixture to potato mixture and blend well
- 8 With a 1/4 cup, portion a small potato patty, flatten to 1/2’ thickness with approx. a 3’ diameter.
- 9 Gently lay potato patty in oil. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until patty is golden brown.
- 10 Remove from fat with a slotted spoon or spatula and drain on paper towels or a wire rack.
- 11 Serve hot with sour cream and apple sauce.
