The Ultimate Crispy Latke Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best oil for potato pancakes? ›

Vegetable oil or canola oil is usually best, because of its high smoking point. Latkes were traditionally made with schmaltz, or chicken fat, so if you have access to it, you should certainly add it in, because it does contribute to the flavor.

I will have to travel with them for two hours and latkes are only good as soon as you fry them. What can I do to keep the potato batter from turning brown? A: When shredding the potatoes be sure to add some acidity (such as a teaspoon of white wine vinegar or concentrated lemon juice to the water.

Potato pancakes have a creamy, almost mashed-potato-like center, with a thin, golden, crisp exterior. Latkes, on the other hand, should have a deeply browned crust, with wispy, lacy edges. Latkes also aren't hash browns.

To keep your cooked latkes piping hot and crisp, drain them on a paper-towel lined baking sheet for a few seconds. Then transfer the drained latkes to a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Keep warm in a 250˚ oven.

“Canola oil is the oil I grew up frying my latkes in. It makes for crispy, light latkes with a soft inside. Canola oil can also heat up to a high enough temperature to cook the whole latke through.” Canola gets bonus points because you can reuse it.

Eating fried foods at Hanukkah also symbolizes the miracle of the oil. In the United States, Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Eastern Europe have popularized the frying of potato pancakes better known by their Yiddish name, latkes.

Get That Moisture Out.

Using a kitchen towel or paper towel, wring out as much moisture as possible. If you don't drain the moisture, they won't crisp as easily and that may be why your potato pancakes are gummy.

Pre-Mix: Prep latke batter and keep in a sealable container in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

Option 4: Olive Oil (Your Last Resort)

(Basically, olive oil can't be heated as hot as other oils without breaking down, which makes food taste burned). If you're frying with olive oil, keep the temperature low as latkes can burn and turn bitter, according to Salamon.

Russet potatoes: Russet potatoes, or baking potatoes, are high in starch and have a dry, mealy texture. This type of potato is best for latkes because the dryness of the potato is partially responsible for that desirable, crispy texture. Yellow onion: Yellow onion adds a savory flavor to the latkes.

What country is latke from? ›

Of course we associate potato latkes with Hanukkah, but in reality latkes descends from Italian pancakes that were made with ricotta cheese. The first connection between Hanukkah and pancakes was made by a rabbi in Italy named Rabbi Kalonymus ben Kalonymus (c. 1286-1328).

The latke, it turns out, has its roots in an old Italian Jewish custom, documented as early as the 14th century. That, it seems, is where Jews first fried pancakes to celebrate Hannukah. Only back then, they were made of cheese.

Or, you can grate the potatoes hours ahead and store them submerged in water in the refrigerator. Drain them well and make the batter up to two hours ahead. (It doesn't matter if it discolors– when you fry them the latkes turn a beautiful golden brown). Fry the latkes no more than an hour or two ahead of serving.

If the potato pancakes are falling apart while you're shaping them before you start cooking, they are either either too wet or they need more flour to hold them together. You can also mix the flour a little more the mix to develop gluten and then let it rest before cooking.

When you grate raw potatoes, you release starch that can cause them to oxidize, or turn dark. The best way to keep that from happening is to cover the potatoes with cold water, then drain them very well and pat them dry before cooking.

Lard or dripping are traditional for batter puddings; use sunflower or vegetable oil if you prefer. A pancake pan should be hot enough that droplets of water will skip across the surface.

Neutral, low-cost oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, corn oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc., work well for roasting. These oils have a high smoke point, allowing the potatoes to get very hot to achieve maximum crispiness.

Long accepted as a standard deep frying oil because of its neutrality, high smoke point, and ready availability (on the bottom oil shelf of most grocery stores), peanut oil is the choice of home fryers as well as chains such as Five Guys Burgers and Fries.

"This also allows the pancakes to get an even color and cook all the way through without burning." The key is to use an oil with a neutral flavor, like vegetable oil, and use it sparingly, so the pancakes maintain a nice texture and aren't too hard on either side.