Latke tips
Posted
- Plan on frying your latkes and serving immediately or you can make them a day to two weeks in advance and freeze them.
- If freezing, cool them down on a drying rack, then place on a sheet tray. Freeze and once frozen, place in a sealed plastic bag for storage.
- Reheat directly from the frozen state on a sheet tray at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes, flipping occasionally.
- After frying your latkes, always blot your potatoes on paper towels, sprinkle with a little Kosher salt and place on a drying rack for a minute or so, allowing air to circulate around them. If you put them directly on a platter and leave them sitting out, the heat and steam will create water condensation on the bottom side of the latke and they will become soggy.
- When peeling potatoes, leave a little skin on one end. This gives a little more grip to an otherwise slippery potato that might cause a painful accident when grating. You can toss out the little leftover knob at the end.
- Potatoes oxidize and turn brown, but a definite don’t is to soak your grated potatoes in water as you grate. This washes off essential starch that helps the potatoes crisp when fried.
- Instead, grate the potatoes into a little lemon juice, salt and a grated onion. Then wrap in a cloth towel and squeeze until all the liquid is released. They should be as dry as possible. Keep them wrapped in the napkin until ready to mix with egg and flour.
- Fry the latkes in hot vegetable, grapeseed or canola oil, not olive oil. Olive oil burns if heated past a certain point and also conveys a flavor that distracts from what is essential, the potato.
- Make sure your oil is hot and that your latke sizzles when you put the first one in. If nothing happens, your pancakes will absorb grease and become soggy.
- Do not overcrowd the latkes in the oil or else you will bring the temperature of the pan/oil down and the latkes will poach not fry.
- Fry them in batches, adding a little oil to the pan as necessary.
- Have your latke bar set up so guests can add toppings as soon as the hot cakes come out of the pan or oven.
- For savory toppings, try plain sour cream or crème fraiche. You can even spike them with a little horseradish and black pepper for a spicier option. For an elegant choice try caviar, and for a comparable but more affordable topping, use salmon roe. Hors d’oeuvres size latkes paired with crème fraiche, salmon roe, and chives are exquisite little bites that can be served all year long, not just for Hanukkah.
- For those who delight in the combination of sweet and savory, go with homemade applesauce. Nothing compares.
