Latkes - the Topic!

[Gifted Gourmet]

Just don't reheat them in the microwave  .

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or pretty much anything you don't want to have limp and droopy ... microwaved foods seem to need a shot of Viagra to make them "presentable" ...

[Schneier]

I freeze them all the time.

As a kid I reheated them in the toaster oven. Now I use the microwave. It works if you don't overdo it. (I also cook very eggy latkes, which I think work better microwaved.)

Edited January 5, 2006 by Schneier (log)

[Pam R]

Last week I used 70 pounds of potatoes and 30 pounds of onions for a little batch of latkes. They're almost all gone . Today I'll be working on the non-traditional versions (zucchini, potato & leek and Greek latkes with spinach, garlic and feta) - then tomorrow another 70 lbs. of potatoes for traditional.

I also did a batch of wild rice and mushroom - no potatoes, but still fried in oil .

Nu?

[Swisskaese]

I am going to make some on Friday. I will make my standard sweet potato and regular potato latkes.

I was thinking of trying an experiment with the purple potatoes, but they are pretty small. What do you think?

[cakewalk]

Last week I used 70 pounds of potatoes and 30 pounds of onions for a little batch of latkes.

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Well, "little" is a relative term.

Did you actually peel all those potatoes?!?

I'm going to try parsnip/sweet potatoe latkes. Last year I turned it into a kugel (because I was too lazy to make latkes), but this year I'm going to try the real thing. (The kugel was good, BTW.)

[Pam R]

I was thinking of trying an experiment with the purple potatoes, but they are pretty small. What do you think?

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I would try a teeny tiny batch - but I don't know if they'd retain their colour. I did cook some up on Sunday.. and they did stay purple.. I think you should try it. I'd just scrub them and grate them with the skin on.

Did you actually peel all those potatoes?!?

I had a little helper (she just peeled another bus-tub of onions for me). Last year I had to do it all on my own, but my time is more limited this year - the darn frying takes forever. I have 3 large electric frying pans going all the time.

[sabg]

i was told to use yukon gold for latkes and now when i look at most of the recipes out there, i see mostly idaho russet,,,, i have a costco size bag but really want them to be good and crispy (also told to use crisco) am i on target ??

[sadistick]

Any potato will do - The key thing is to get as much moisture out as possible, thats it...

We always shred some onions in them as well, and add some flour or matzo meal to bind it a bit...as far is crisco, no need...any veg oil will do, and much healthier too.

[tim]

Hi,

I say skip the veg oil and use schmaltz. In fact, add some smaltz to the potato mix.

Tim

[sadistick]

Tim, I was trying to keep this guys arteries happy!

But yes, if health issues are of no concern, you can use chicken fat, or mix chicken fat with veg oil...

Either way, they both produce a very good end result.

But, if you want to go nuts and give the arteries a good run for their money, use duck fat

[Pam R]

Vegetable oil, of course, is the thing to do if you keep kosher and want to have sour cream with the latkes. I've now used over 300 lbs. of potatoes this year - a mix of reds and russets. sadistick is 100% correct - get as much moisture out of the potatoes as you can, squeeze them dry. I always add onions, raw and shredded. And I fry them in canola - so they can be eaten with anything.

[barcelona]

sweet potato latkes with wasabi tobiko, a recipe comes from a recent F&W magazine:

[rumball]

i'll check that f&w recipe! coincidentally i was looking to do smth with 'red batata' also labeled 'california batata'. anybody familiar with that? i saw a reference to dulce de batata in latin cuisine - is that like mashed sweet potatoes or smth else? i usually just bake it brushed with oil in the stove, but was thinking of more variety. why not latkes? especially spiced with poblanos may be and sprinkled with chorizo?

[chromedome]

I have a serious question for you all.

As you know, I live in the Southwest, and have Jewish friends.  Several of them celebrate Hanukkah with empanadas.

I asked, "Is that traditional?"

And was told that because empanadas are fried in oil, they "count."

I cannot imagine that the ancient Jews were frying up empanadas.  So would those of you who are upset about the cookies in the shape of dreidels have a hard time with this as well??

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I've only just found this thread, so forgive me if you've long since been satisfied on this point, but...

Jaymes, empanadas probably antedate latkes in the Jewish world by some centuries. During the Middle Ages (and probably well before), baked or fried pies with sweet or savoury fillings were widely popular in both Jewish and gentile communities throughout Europe. In Spain and Portugal, the wellsprings of what we now call the Sephardic community, these pies would already have been called "empanadas" before the discovery of the New World.

My copy of Gitlitz & Davidson's A Drizzle of Honey (a book of recipes from the Jewish/converso community of 14th/15th century Spain and Portugal) contains some 20 pages devoted to "meat and fish pies."

So, if anything, empanadas would be more traditional than latkes, for the Sephardim at least.

[Pam R]

It's almost time, people. I've made the decision not to make latkes at work this year because I don't have the time. But, I'll still make some for the family. Over the years I've done zucchini and leek, wild rice and mushroom, sweet potato and curried sweet potato, cauliflower and corn and of course, the classic potato and onion. I will do a batch or two of the classic, but I'm wondering if anybody has anything new planned. Or should I throw all this new-fangled-new-age stuff out the window and just stick with classic?

[Gifted Gourmet]

Over the years, I have tried out a number of new recipes for a variety of different latkes only to still crave the classic potato latke with sour cream and a dollop of caviar ... at heart, I have to admit to being a purist for this dish ...

[pax]

I grew up eating potato pancakes at my little old Irish granny's knee. Never having been exposed to anyone not Roman Catholic as a child, I marveled at how smart all those Jewish people must be to make my granny's potato pancakes part of their holy meal. It leaves me with a soft spot for the choosen people to this day.

Grate (I cheat and Cuisinart), 2,3,4 potatos depending on size, squeeze, add 1 egg and 1 small to medium finely minced onion. Barely enough binder of choice, I use whatever is on hand but mostly a little flour. I'm going to try the soaking and recatching the starch instead of adding a binder. Sometimes I like to add minced garlic, sometimes pepper, salt always as they come out of the fryer.

Carmelized onion have their place but I think their flavour is too delicate for a robust strong crispy yet melty salty potato pancake.

Frankly, I think potato pancakes are pretty much nectar of the gods. I don't care what you call them and what toppings you serve them with and I'm even willing to be flexible on oil of choice, although everybody knows peanut is best.v It's all good. Seriously. How can crispy oniony potatoey goodness be wrong in any form? A rose by any other name..

Edited November 23, 2007 by pax (log)

[MHesse]

About 8 reasonably unknowledgeable men just named as the "Latke Guys" have the assignment to cook 1500 latkes for our congregation members. We have shifts of volunteers coming in to peel and grate and drain and mix. Cooking to be done in 3 skillets on the gas stove and 3 electric skillets.

We did a test run last week with 10 pounds of taters and 4 large onions, 6 eggs, some matzoh meal, cooking half in olive oil and half in plain veggie oil. I tried to save the potato starch to mix in, but this was too far out a concept for most of the crew who tossed the drained liquid into the sink. Oh well. They came out reasonably good, but a little on the greasy side.

For the main event, we'll go with the veggie oil, though after reading this I may bring in a tub of shortening for one of the skillets. Then we have to let them cool, then pack and freeze them until the eating event, which is another day.

1500 latkes: about 250 lps of potatoes! In 6 skillets. We hope to accomplish this between 12 and 6 pm. We may need another hanukah miracle to make this happen.

--Mark

[Pam R]

1500 latkes: about 250 lps of potatoes!  In 6 skillets.  We hope to accomplish this between 12 and 6 pm.  We may need another hanukah miracle to make this happen.

Hey Mark,

A miracle is right! How big are the latkes? I can do 8 at a time in each of my electric frying pans - and work 3 of them at a time. 300 lbs. of potatoes took a lot longer than 6 hours . . .

[sabg]

is there a way to make latkes and have them really good the next day...i always make them when guests are here and just cant do it this year for so many..are there any tricks or secrets? i have bot them from places that have been highly recommended and they are never v good

[feedmec00kies]

The problem with latkes is that what makes them good is being crispy - something that's hard to achieve if they're cooked the day before or even too early ahead of time. Is it plausible to cook them most of the way the day before and then finish them the day of? You could probably lay them out flat on baking sheets (no greasing provided they had enough oil on them from the first frying), stick them in a preheated oven, and flip them once or twice until brown.

[scubadoo97]

I'm in the same boat this year with having to make enough for a dozen quests for Shabbat dinner and having enough time to do it when I get home from work. I have in years past made them and stored in the fridge until needed. There is enough oil in them to crisp them when reheated but there are certainly better fresh.

[scubadoo97]

Being in a position of having to make a boat load of latkes and having little time to do it. Is it ever advisable to grate and soak potatoes in water a few days prior to using them? Would you lose too much potato starch in doing so is the question. I know potatoes for french fries are often soaked in water to remove starch but that seems counter productive to the latke. Anyone done it before?

[CaliPoutine]

I made the best ones I've ever made or eaten. Recipe from Cook's Illustrated.

[scubadoo97]

Randi, those look great. Care to share that CI recipe?