I was so happy to get connected with a new blogging friend recently; Tori from The Shiksa in the Kitchen. Tori is a convert to Judaism and I loved reading her story; especially how her journey of faith is so intertwined with a love of the history and culture of Jewish cuisine.
By taking a journey into the heart of Jewish cuisine, I uncovered something hidden deep inside of me. I now understand that I’ve always had a Jewish spirit. I am drawn to many of the traditional aspects of Judaism — the holidays, the observance of Shabbat, the empowerment of prayer. It’s extremely comforting to know that I’ve joined a larger family and community. By becoming Jewish, I’ve acknowledged my responsibility to others, and I’ve dedicated myself to learning and growing within the faith. -Tori Avey
Although our religions may have some major doctrinal differences, at the core, I think all people of faith are much more alike than we are different. We are all bound together by a love of and faith in our Creator. I feel a commonality to those of any faith who seek Him, and I respect the commitment others have to God in whatever way they choose to worship. I think it’s especially wonderful when the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays overlap and we all celebrate the beauty of our faiths at the same time. It’s an amazing thing when you think about it! So to all of our Jewish friends out in the blogosphere, we wish you a very happy Hanukkah!
I asked Tori I’ve always wanted to make latkes, so I was thrilled when she sent me this recipe. These are basic latkes, made with few ingredients and they’re little bites of heaven. (These don’t require any flour or matzo, so they’re gluten free too!) Latkes are basically just potato pancakes, so although we’re making these in honor of Hanukkah, they would be fantastic for breakfast (think hash browns!) or an appetizer. I think what makes a good latke (you know, since I’m such an expert now) are the little tricks and tips, so pay attention to those. You’ll love these!
Ingredients and Equipment Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Yukon gold potatoes –
- Onions – Yellow or white, medium.
- Eggs
- Salt
- White pepper
- Peanut oil – For frying. Any neutral oil with a high smoke point will work.
- Fine hole cheese grater or food processor – It’s important to use a fine hole cheese grater, or the fine hole attachment on your food processor to get nice thin shreds that can cook quickly. One thing I love about these is how the onion is also so fine that you’re not biting into chunks of it, the flavors just melt into each other.
- Tea towel – Or a few layers of cheese cloth. You will use this to drain the excess moisture out of your potatoes.
- Candy thermometer – Keeping the oil at the right temperature is another important step. If it’s too hot, the outsides will cook up and get overdone while the insides aren’t cooked. And if it’s not hot enough, the latkes will just absorb the oil and come out heavy and greasy. You need it right around 365℉ so they cook up nice and crispy and golden brown on the outside and cooked and creamy on the inside. A candy thermometer will tell you where you are temperature wise!
How to Make Crispy Yukon Gold Latkes
- Shred your potatoes and transfer them to a bowl of cold water, then shred your onions. I grated my potatoes by hand and found that it wasn’t quite strong enough for my onion and was just basically juicing it, so I just pulsed it in my food processor instead. I knew I needed it super fine for the quick fry so I went ahead and processed it really well.
- Drain your potato shreds and place both the potatoes and onions in a tea towel or onto a few layers of cheese cloth. Squeeze out all of the excess liquid.
- Place that mixture back in your bowl and and add a couple of beaten eggs and salt and pepper.
- These are bite-size latkes so you just need a rounded tablespoon of potato mixture. To get nice even amounts, I just used my cookie scoop.
- You’ll want to grab each little ball and squeeze it again in your hand to let any extra moisture drip off again. Then just shape into a little disk and place in a pan of hot oil. You only need about 1/8 inch of oil, so this isn’t a huge deep frying adventure.
- After cooking for a few minutes on each side, place them on a cooling rack with some paper towels underneath. You can add extra salt at this point. I sprinkled mine with coarse kosher salt and they were perfect!
Storing and Other Tips
- Latkes are best served immediately. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2-3 days for best results. I recommend reheating in the air fryer to restore crispiness.
- Serve them the traditional way for Hanukkah with apple sauce and/or sour cream or if you don’t celebrate Hanukkah, you could treat them more like a hash brown and pair them with scrambled eggs and dipped in ketchup or salsa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point will work. Canola oil, vegetable oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, or safflower oil are all good options.
These ones are! Some recipes use flour as a binder but this one does not.
These are best served fresh, but you can make them a few hours in advance and reheat in the oven if needed.
One reader reports freezing finished latkes between sheets of parchment and reheating in a 375℉ oven.
Crispy Yukon Gold Latkes {Potato Pancakes}
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled
- 2 medium onions
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- peanut oil for frying
Instructions
- Peel and shred potatoes using the fine-hole side of a hand grater or food processor. Place in a bowl of cold water and set aside. Meanwhile, shred onion using same fine hole grater, or pulse in food processor until very finely chopped.
- Drain potato shreds and rinse and dry the bowl that was used and set aside. Place potato shreds and grated onion in the center of a tea towel or several layers of cheese cloth. Twist loose material to secure the bundle, and squeeze firmly to remove excess liquid from the shreds.
- Pour peanut oil into skillet to a depth of 1/8 inch. Heat slowly over medium to about 365℉. While oil is heating, use the fork to stir the beaten egg, salt, and pepper into the potato shreds. Take care to make sure the egg and seasonings are fully mixed throughout the potato shreds. Scoop up a rounded tablespoon of potato batter and squeeze it firmly in your palm over an empty dish to remove excess liquid. Shape batter into a rough disk. Place it gently into the hot oil. Use a metal spatula to gently press down on the latke to flatten it.
- The oil should sizzle but not pop when the batter hits it. If the oil jumps wildly or smokes; it’s too hot. If it only bubbles weakly, the oil is not hot enough. Continue shaping the latkes, using only a rounded tablespoon for each one. Fry in batches of 5 or 6 at a time for 2-3 minutes per side until brown and crispy. Remove latkes from pan using metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to drain.
- Latkes are best when served immediately. If you need to make them ahead, fry them 4 hours or less before serving. After letting them drain on the cooling rack, place them on an ungreased, unlined cookie sheet. Leave at room temp till ready to reheat. Place in a 375℉ oven for about 10 minutes, until heated through, just prior to serving.
Questions & Reviews
Thanks for the Hanukkah shout out! As a Jew, I LOVED your proposed blog title. One tip I would give for those looking to make these is advance, is that latkes freeze beautifully between layers of parchment paper. I always make a huge batch about a week in advance of our annual Hanukkah party, and then warm them up in the oven on a cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Super easy. Love the blog–thanks for all of the cooking tips.
We are currently stationed in Germany and we eat Reibekuchen at the Christmas markets every year. Love them and can’t wait to try these at home! Thanks 🙂
I made jalepeno popper-latkes last night. Not traditional, but delicious! Jalepenos mixed in w/ the potato mixture and stuffed w/ a cheese mix (i used cream cheese and a yellowish cheese that you can’t get in the states)…. original recipe is from saveur. Thanks for the recipes!
Great post! I’m actually a convert to Christianity (Mormonism) from Judaism. I was born in Israel and moved to the States when I was five. I LOVE Hanukkah, and LOVE latkes! This is a great recipe. I just made Sweet Potato Latkes last night for the first night of Hanukkah. I’ve always made the mistake in the past of not squeezing out the moister from the potato mixture, though, so great tip!! Even though I am Mormon, my husband and I want to teach our children about their Jewish heritage. We like to celebrate all the holidays!! I love the title you wanted to give this post :). Love following your blog, too. I’m hoping someone got me your cookbook for Christmas!!
For what it’s worth, I thought your original title was hilarious! 😉 And those latkes look delish!
Would it be considered sacriligious to dip latkes in fry sauce? 😉
My daughter’s kindergarten teacher is Jewish and has been sharing a lot in class about Hanukkah. She sent home a recipe for latkes, but she didn’t have all the extra tips so I was nervous to try it without knowing exactly how they were supposed to turn out. I think I can try them now.
For more Hanukkah fun, check out this video http://youtu.be/qSJCSR4MuhU My daughter’s teacher has shown it in class a couple of times so now my very Mormon 5-year-old walks around singing it. We find it highly entertaining.
Love the Youtube link!
I just made Latkes last night (first night of Chanukkah)and we all wondered why I don’t make them year round. My recipe is very similar, but calls for 3 tablespoons of flour or matzo meal. I use Yukon Gold potatoes and have very little water after the food processor (not shredded, using blade). The flour seems to soak up any extra moisture, for those who can’t/don’t want to squeeze the liquids out.
Can any part of the recipe be made in advance? I would like to be able to put them together Christmas Eve in order to cook them up quickly Christmas morning?
I love latkes!