The recipe for these latkes has been passed down from my fiance’s grandmother. Although, it’s less of a “recipe” and more of a list of ingredients, as many family dishes are. Having made these latkes with his family before, I developed a recipe that takes those ingredients and results in deliciously, crispy latkes. I use a cheesecloth to draw out the liquid, but I’ve heard that a salad spinner works amazingly well too.
Crispy potato latkes with a homemade cinnamon applesauce.
Print Recipe
Table of Contents
Recipe: Grandma Figa’s Latkes
My husband's family recipe for latkes
Yields: 12 4” latkes
Equipment
- A cheesecloth, thin cotton dish cloth or thin t-shirt
- a large cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed pan to fry the latkes
- a wire rack (optional) to keep the latkes crisp
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes
- 1 medium onion
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/3 cup matzo meal
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, use half for any other salt brand, plus more for topping
- Black pepper, ground
- 2 to 3 eggs, whisked
- Neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- Line a large bowl with a cheesecloth, a thin cotton dishcloth or a thin t-shirt. The thinner your cloth, the more liquid will be released from the potatoes and onions, meaning crispier latkes.
- Grate the potatoes and onion using a box grater, food processor, or hand grater. You want to choose the large, coarse holes to grate from. I like to grate each potato and onion half, then add the gratings to the bowl. A hand grater will not get as many “stringy” ends that you might typically see in popular latke recipes — for those, you’ll likely need a food processor. Add the salt into the bowl.
- Grab the ends of the cheesecloth together and squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the cheesecloth. The potatoes and onions release a lot of liquid, so don’t worry if this takes a few minutes.
- Once the potatoes and onions are as dry as possible, pour the potato/onion mixture directly into the bowl and remove the cheesecloth.
- Add the baking soda, matzo meal, black pepper, and 2 eggs to the bowl and mix until just combined. If you find that the batter is not holding together, you can add the final egg.
- Prep the oil for frying: In a large cast-iron or heavy bottomed skillet, add about 1/4” of oil. You want enough oil so that at least half of your latke is submerged to ensure even cooking. You can also deep-fry them fully if desired and heat 1/2” of oil. Heat at medium high. The oil is ready when sizzling, but not smoking (between 350F – 360F). I highly recommend trying a small test latke to see how it comes out, then adjusting the heat as needed before cooking the rest.
- While the oil is heating, you can squeeze out more liquid from the latke batter if necessary using the cheesecloth.
- To form a latke, scoop 1/4 cup of batter into your hands and loosely form into a patty (don’t pack it down or it will get dense), about 3” – 4” in diameter and 1/4” to 1/8” thick, depending on your desired thickness and width.
- Carefully place into the oil using a spatula (be cautious, since the oil is hot!). I typically cook 3 to 4 latkes at a time in the oil using my 10” cast iron skillet. You can also spoon a bit of batter directly into the pan to make it easier.
- Cook until golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes, then flip until the other side is golden brown. Typically, this takes me about 3-4 minutes total.
- Once the latke is cooked, place on a plate with a paper towel and press to let the oil drain from both sides, for about 1 minute. If you have a wire rack, place the latkes on the wire rack to keep them crispy. In a pinch, if you have a gas stove, you can keep the latkes on the grates of your stove to keep them crispy.
- While the next batch is cooking, you can keep the latkes warm in the oven (especially on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet if you have one) at 350 degrees.
- Eat immediately — after sitting out for a while, latkes can get soggy.
Notes
- Squeezing as much liquid out as possible is one of the biggest contributing factors to a good latke. This is why a thinner cloth, like cheesecloth, is better because it’s easier to squeeze out that liquid.
- Do not let your latke batter sit out — prep the ingredients and make the batter right before frying. Otherwise, the potatoes can oxidize too much and turn brown. If you’re worried about oxidation, you can add a squeeze of lemon juice or a 1/2 tsp of white vinegar. But either way, you’re going to want to make your latkes as quickly as possible from when you start grating the potatoes and onion.
Print Recipe
Recipe: Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce
Yields: 2 cups
Ingredients
- 6 medium apples, about 3 lbs, peeled, cored, and diced; honey crisp, Granny Smith, or Macintosh all work. Avoid Red Delicious, as the texture is less ideal.
- 3/4 cup apple cider
- 1/4 cup white or brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or high-walled heavy bottom pot, add all ingredients.
- Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until the apples mash easily with a fork or spoon. This may take a bit longer, depending on the kind of apples you have.
- To finish the applesauce…° For a chunky mash, you can mash the apples directly in the pot with a fork or potato masher until you’ve reached the desired consistency. Transfer to a serving bowl and let cool before serving. At this point, you can also season the applesauce again with more cinnamon or salt if desired. If you want more sweetness, I recommend adding some maple syrup.° For a smooth mash, transfer the apple mixture to a blender. Blend until smooth. At this point, you can also season the applesauce again with more cinnamon or salt if desired. If you want more sweetness, I recommend adding some maple syrup.
References: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/potato-latkes/ and https://www.seriouseats.com/2011/12/how-to-make-latkes-chanukah-hanukkah-recipe-guide.html
