Hanukah/Chanukah/Hannukah

[Curlz]

I'm hosting a Chanukah party next week, and am wondering if I can make sweet potato latkes just by subbing the sweets for regular potatoes. Anyone know if I should make any other adjustments? Thanks in advance...

Curlz

[Pam R]

I usually do a mix of sweet and red potatoes. The sweet can get very soft and mushy on their own.

eta: or russets and sweet

[Curlz]

The sweet can get very soft and mushy on their own.

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Exactly the kind of info I needed. Thanks, Pam!

Another question popped in my brain since my last post...I'm worried that I only have two good-sized frying pans. Before I go buy at least one more, I thought, "Hey--why can't I use my smaller stock pot? The oil won't splatter outside of the pan..." Any reason I shouldn't? Forgive me, but since I neeeeeeeeeever fry anything, I guess I'm questioning my normally good cooking skills!

[scubadoo97]

The sweet can get very soft and mushy on their own.

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Exactly the kind of info I needed. Thanks, Pam!

Another question popped in my brain since my last post...I'm worried that I only have two good-sized frying pans. Before I go buy at least one more, I thought, "Hey--why can't I use my smaller stock pot? The oil won't splatter outside of the pan..." Any reason I shouldn't? Forgive me, but since I neeeeeeeeeever fry anything, I guess I'm questioning my normally good cooking skills!

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Latkes are usually shallow fried. It would be hard to flip them in a stock pot.

I have 15 people coming for dinner tonight. I did my latke making last night and tried a few methods. I did 10# of potatoes and started with the box grater but then went to the processor. I really like the texture from the box grater but just had too much to do and too many to make. I am definitely in the camp that likes some egg and matzoh meal in mine. The potato and onion ones were too much like hash browns. Even the ones that only had a little egg were just not what I think of for latkes. I like mine exactly like Jasons. Those look great. I took the cooking outside and employed an electric fry pan that just couldn't keep up so pulled out the turkey fryer and put a large skillet on the burner. No problem bringing the oil back up to heat with this burner

Happy Chanukah to all.

[Curlz]

Latkes are usually shallow fried.  It would be hard to flip them in a stock pot. 

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Okay, I'm going to push this issue...if my stock pot and my frying pan are the same diameter and I don't mind getting in to flip them, will it matter? I have 20 lbs of potatoes to do, so it's rather important that I figure out how I'm going to get them all cooked in some sort of efficient manner. Thanks!

Scuba, I'm very jealous of your ability to do this outdoors. I'm not looking forward to my place reeking of oil for days on end!

[Pam R]

If you can get them flipped, I'd say give it a shot.

I know some frown on this, but I use electric frying pans - and they come out beautifully - crisp and golden.

[Curlz]

Okay, I'm officially starting to feel like all of my non-cooking friends! I now have a 20lb bag of russets in the house from Costco. Ever see those? Each potato easily weighs over 1lb. NO KIDDING. But I figure that I'll have less peeling to do! :-) Embarrassment aside, I'm going to ask these questions, b/c I can do so here in the comfort of the boards, but have to know what I'm doing for next week's party!

1. I saw a woman on tv (Rozanne Gold, iirc) who par-boils the russets, lets them cool, and then grates them for the latkes. She said the starch that comes out in the par-boil helps hold the latkes together, and she only uses potatoes, onions and salt & pepper in them. They looked gorgeous... has anyone ever tried this method? She also said that you get better 'strands' of potato b/c they've cooked a bit and cooled, so you get more of a lace effect.

2. Any issue with using canola or olive oil instead of peanut? I generally cook healthy, so the idea of using such a heavy oil isn't really appealing--but for best results, I'll bite the bullet if I have to.

3. Are there secrets to keeping the lingering smell of oil out of my kitchen/house? As I mentioned upthread, I never fry anything, but even when I make popcorn, the smell sticks around for a day or so.

4. Just want to confirm that there is no reason to put a lid on the frying pans while cooking the latkes. I can't imagine I'd want the steam to be contained in there...

5. Finally, how much oil should be in the pan? A couple of inches? Again, I'm not used to frying, so I would tend to use less, not more.

Set me straight, please!! Thanks in advance!

Curlz

[Sararwelch]

This year my family decided to do something totally untraditional. We're going to do a food tour of Berkeley (CA) and pick up whatever we find along the way that looks good to assemble hanukkah dinner. Should be fun!

[Swisskaese]

Okay, I'm officially starting to feel like all of my non-cooking friends!  I now have a 20lb bag of russets in the house from Costco.  Ever see those?  Each potato easily weighs over 1lb.  NO KIDDING.  But I figure that I'll have less peeling to do!  :-)  Embarrassment aside, I'm going to ask these questions, b/c I can do so here in the comfort of the boards, but have to know what I'm doing for next week's party!

1.  I saw a woman on tv (Rozanne Gold, iirc) who par-boils the russets, lets them cool, and then grates them for the latkes.  She said the starch that comes out in the par-boil helps hold the latkes together, and she only uses potatoes, onions and salt & pepper in them.  They looked gorgeous...  has anyone ever tried this method?  She also said that you get better 'strands' of potato b/c they've cooked a bit and cooled, so you get more of a lace effect.

2.  Any issue with using canola or olive oil instead of peanut?  I generally cook healthy, so the idea of using such a heavy oil isn't really appealing--but for best results, I'll bite the bullet if I have to. 

3.  Are there secrets to keeping the lingering smell of oil out of my kitchen/house?  As I mentioned upthread, I never fry anything, but even when I make popcorn, the smell sticks around for a day or so.

4.  Just want to confirm that there is no reason to put a lid on the frying pans while cooking the latkes.  I can't imagine I'd want the steam to be contained in there...

5.  Finally, how much oil should be in the pan?  A couple of inches?  Again, I'm not used to frying, so I would tend to use less, not more.

Set me straight, please!!      Thanks in advance!

Curlz

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I have only grated raw potatoes. I would be afraid that I would over cook them and them I wouldn't be able to grate them. And, I cook them in about 1/2 inch of canola oil.

I use raw potato and mix them with grated onion, egg and salt & pepper:

2 pounds russet (baking) or Yukon Gold potatoes, grated

1 medium onion, grated

1 large egg, beaten

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Vegetable oil for frying

Edited December 17, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[Pam R]

Each potato easily weighs over 1lb.  NO KIDDING.  But I figure that I'll have less peeling to do!  :-) 

Smart. Much faster peeling large ones - I buy 'jumbo' potatoes when I can.

1.  I saw a woman on tv (Rozanne Gold, iirc) who par-boils the russets, lets them cool, and then grates them for the latkes.  She said the starch that comes out in the par-boil helps hold the latkes together, and she only uses potatoes, onions and salt & pepper in them.  They looked gorgeous...  has anyone ever tried this method?  She also said that you get better 'strands' of potato b/c they've cooked a bit and cooled, so you get more of a lace effect.

I've heard that there are people that use par-boiled potatoes, but I've never tried one. Seems like an extra, unnecessary step to me.

2.  Any issue with using canola or olive oil instead of peanut?  I generally cook healthy, so the idea of using such a heavy oil isn't really appealing--but for best results, I'll bite the bullet if I have to. 

I use canola. Too many people are allergic to peanut oil - I wouldn't hesitate to use it for myself though. Canola is a good, neutral oil that's well suited to frying.

3.  Are there secrets to keeping the lingering smell of oil out of my kitchen/house?  As I mentioned upthread, I never fry anything, but even when I make popcorn, the smell sticks around for a day or so.

No. It's going to smell. Just embrace it.

4.  Just want to confirm that there is no reason to put a lid on the frying pans while cooking the latkes.  I can't imagine I'd want the steam to be contained in there...

Keep the lid off. You're right - you're not steaming, you're frying.

5.  Finally, how much oil should be in the pan?  A couple of inches?  Again, I'm not used to frying, so I would tend to use less, not more.

I go with about 1/2 an inch. We're not deep-frying the latkes, we're pan frying them. Too much oil also makes it hard to .. flatten and shape the latkes. I heat about 1/4 - 1/2 an inch of oil, use an ice-cream scoop to place the batter into the pan, then a spatula to shape them into circles (or ovals, or amoeba, and this year we had a couple of split hooves, a sheep and several clouds )

Good luck!

[Miriam Kresh]

There will be 6 adults and 2 small but hungry kids at my Chanukah party. This is the batch of latkehs I made:

Yield: 40 latkeh, made in the food processor

6 large potatoes: 1.600 kg.

4 large onions, 1 set aside

6 eggs

1 cup flour and 1 Tblsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt for separate onion

1 1/2 tsp. salt for potato batter

1 tsp. white pepper

Oil for shallow frying: olive oil is very nice, and I use it for smaller batches. It's too expensive for a big batch, so for that I'll use corn oil or canola.

Cut the potatoes into chunks that will work with your food processor. A note: I do not peel the potatoes, just scrub them well and go over them with a knife to remove anything undesirable.

In food processor: grate the potatoes with the fine-grating disk

Dump the grated mass into a colander and rinse briefly to avoid discoloration. Allow to drain while everything else is being prepared.

Rinse the food processor; fit the knife in.

Finely dice the separated onion and carmelize in a little olive oil, with 1/2 tsp. salt. You may skip this and just grate it along with the other onions in the food processor; it's a nice refinement, is all.

Peel and quarter the 3 (or 4) onions; puree them in the FP.

Add the eggs to the pureed onions and whirl them along for a few seconds.

Add the 1 1/2 tsp. salt, the flour, and the baking powder to the contents of the FP. Whirl till all is smooth.

Start heating the oil in the frying pan(s). I used two Teflon-lined pans and the work went very quickly. How much oil? About 2 Tblsp; it needs to be renewed once in a while because the latkehs do soak it up.

Shlep a big bowl out; dump the grated potatoes it, and mix the batter into that. It will get more watery as the potatoes start releasing juice on contact with the salt; don't worry.

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, turn out little hills of raw latkeh batter into the hot oil. This works better than using cooking spoons. Flatten out the tops a little. Fry till the first side is brown; gently flip over with a spatula and fry till the other side is brown too. Taste the first one or two to determine what color the latkehs have to be when they're done.

You will have to start draining some of the liquid out of the measuring cup at some point; there will also be some liquid left over in the bowl when all the latkehs are fried. Don't feel bad about wasting; a lot of it is potato juice.

Drain on paper towels. You may put the latkehs in the fridge or freezer when they've cooled down. Reheat in a preheated oven for 10 minutes in single layers. They will release some of their cooking oil. Serve hot; they will be as fresh and tasty as if you'd stood frying there frying them all along while everyone else is in the dining room, fressing .

These latkehs are substantial; not of the lacey or thin, crepe-like varieties. They served latkehs like these back in Poland, I think. Serve topped with applesauce and sour cream. (I'm going to try Fat Guy's charoset-based topping and serve it alongside the usual toppings.)

Last note: ventilate the kitchen if the weather allows, to lessen cooking odors. What can you do, it's only once a year...

Happy Calories - I mean, Chanukah!

Miriam

Edited December 17, 2006 by Miriam Kresh (log)

[Curlz]

Thanks, ladies!! Pam, your response to #3 really made me laugh!

I'm definitely feeling better about tackling these...may even start today, but I'm still making room in the freezer, so it may be another day or two.

Thanks again! Happy Chanukah to all!

[Curlz]

Update: Just sat down after spending almost 2 hours in the kitchen...made Miriam's recipe, and I promise you this will be an annual one for me! Thanks SO much for taking the time to type it all out, Miriam! The latkes are gorgeous and delicious, and every step of your information was golden as well. I did choose to carmelize some onion, and love the flavor that it adds. Had two pans going at once, one stainless steel, one non-stick, and I agree with you; the non-stick cooked a lot faster! Tomorrow, another full batch + one with sweet potatoes. And hopefully I'll remember to get the camera out! Thanks again.

Happy Chanukah!!

Curlz

[Miriam Kresh]

Curtz, I'm really glad the recipe was useful to you. I hope your Chanukah party is as full of love and fun as your latkehs!

Miriam

[Curlz]

BUMP. Can't believe that nobody has posted on this thread since last year! I'm looking forward to some latkes tonight...Happy Happy to all who are celebrating!

Curlz

[Katie Meadow]

I have checked this thread and can't find discussion re two latke questions I have, so forgive me if the answers are somewhere else....

1) I have always used russets for my latkes, but I recently subbed yukon golds for russets when making mashed potatoes and liked the result. Does anyone prefer yukon golds for latkes?

2) Assuming a basic technique of grating the potatoes and using them raw, some recipes specify putting the grated taters in an ice bath. The reasons, I am guessing could be multiple: keeps them from turning brown, crisps them up, and also causes the starch to settle in a clump at the bottom. I have seen recipes that said to toss out that starch. Plenty of other recipes don't address the issue of an ice bath at all and don't make any mention of not wanting the starch. I have done it both ways and naturally I can't really remember year to year whether I liked one method better or not. Anyone have an opinion about this? (Of course you do!)

[CaliPoutine]

I made Cook's Illustrated Latkas tonight. They were the best ones I've ever made or eaten.

You grate part of the potato and the other part is chopped in the food processor. You also stir back in the starch from the bottom of the bowl( and discard the liquid).

CI says you can use russet or yukons. I used russet

Edited December 5, 2007 by CaliPoutine (log)

[miladyinsanity]

Those latkes look amazing.

I think I'm going to have to make some. It has potatoes, and they are fried until they are brown and crispy. They have to be good.

Pity I don't have anybody who can tell me whether mine are good or not.

[Pam R]

I have checked this thread and can't find discussion re two latke questions I have, so forgive me if the answers are somewhere else....

I don't know if your answers are in them, but there are two great latke topics. The first is Latkes - The Topic (natch) and the second is the eGullet Potato Pancake Recipe Cook-Off.

I've never put the shredded potatoes in ice water. Grate onions, grate potatoes and mix together (onion juice keeps the potatoes from oxidizing), squeeze excess moisture out, add starch/flour, eggs, salt and pepper and fry.

Tonight I made latkes, roasted cauliflower and rack of lamb for a small family dinner. Really good. We're all relaxing (and digesting) and will have sufganiot and gelt in a while. The latkes were fantastic tonight. There is something to be said for frying a small batch vs. 50 lbs.

[Curlz]

Can I admit this here? I think I can, so I will. Last week while doing a major cleanout/inventory of my freezer, I came upon three large Ziploc bags...one labelled Plain, another Sweet Potato, and the last Leek/Potato. Latkes from LAST YEAR. I decided to do the only proper thing; I threw a couple of 'em in to the toaster oven @ 375, and about 12 minutes later, I tried them. I can't even begin to explain how good they were! I swear, they tasted like they were made within the few days! I had wrapped them in single layers in parchment and then in foil before sealing the bags, and it obviously worked well. We had the remainder tonight, and the family didn't believe me when I told them (after they had each eaten one, of course)! Now if I want more latkes, I'll have to make new ones. I guess it's about time...

[KatieLoeb]

The "surprises" I find in my freezer are never that good. Lucky you. Must be another Hanukah miracle. Latkes that last 300-some odd days.

I had a lovely Hanukah meal tonight with my dear friends and their children, my "niece" and "nephew", 8 and 10 respectively. The kids did a great job on the blessings over three different menorahs, one that each of them had made in Hebrew school and one that belonged to their deceased maternal grandparents. Big dinner of fresh homemade tomato soup with Parmesan toasts, latkes from Whole Foods (mom admits they are much better than hers) with applesauce, baked salmon, carrot tzimmes and an arugula and citrus salad. Very delicious. Gelt and spiked egg nog (grownups only) for dessert in front of the fireplace. A most wonderful evening that will remain in my memory for a long time. I really love those kids and they make me really proud.

[Curlz]

The "surprises" I find in my freezer are never that good.  Lucky you.  Must be another Hanukah miracle.  Latkes that last 300-some odd days.

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Heehee!

But I'll say this; I'd have been willing to serve them to any of my food pals--they were that good. Go figure!

[scubadoo97]

For the second night of Hannukah I opted for fried green tomatoes instead of latkes since we had those last night. The meal consisted of pan seared salmon, corn bread with fresh corn and serrano chilies, fried green tomatoes with a remoulade and a small salad.

[Pam R]

Dinner tonight - everything is prepped and awaiting the guests. We're having fried chicken, hamburgers (er, why not?), homemade root vegetable chips, salad, and potato latkes that my uncle is bringing. Dessert is raspberry sufganiot from a local Jewish bakery.

Gotta go light the candles. Chag Sameach!

[Chris Amirault]

Hanukah is around the corner! What are people planning this year?