Fried food is a popular offering for Hanukkah, a holiday observing, in part, “the miracle of the oil” that lasted for eight days. Latkes are said to have originated in the Middle Ages and were probably originally made with a cheese, like ricotta or curds. Later in the 19th century, potatoes were introduced to Europe, and potato latkes took over. These potato pancakes have a crispy outside and a soft, tender inside. They’re a delicious accompaniment to brisket or a lamb rack and are usually served with applesauce or sour cream.
On the Ingredients
- Potatoes are starchy root vegetables first cultivated in the Peru/Bolivia region at least 2,500 years ago. Today, they’re a staple all over the world. Potatoes contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, though it’s important to note that much of those are in the skin, so peeling potatoes will reduce that amount of healthful components. Potatoes are incredibly versatile and can be used in a wide range of dishes from cuisines all over the globe.
Latkes Potato Pancakes (Hanukkah Recipe)
4
servings20
minutes30
minutes50
minutesFried food is a popular offering for Hanukkah, a holiday observing, in part, “the miracle of the oil” that lasted for eight days. Latkes are said to have originated in the Middle Ages and were probably originally made with a cheese, like ricotta or curds. Later in the 19th century, potatoes were introduced to Europe, and potato latkes took over. These potato pancakes have a crispy outside and a soft, tender inside. They’re a delicious accompaniment to brisket or a lamb rack and are usually served with applesauce or sour cream.
Ingredients
5 large potatoes, peeled
1 small onion
2 eggs lightly beaten
1⁄4 cup flour or gluten-free flour mix
11⁄2 tsp coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
oil for frying
Directions
- Trim the potatoes of blemishes and grate with a fine or coarse grater. Then grate the onion. Using a damp, clean kitchen towel, squeeze the grated potatoes and onion by putting them inside the towel and twisting the top. Do this until liquid stops coming out.
- Put the squeezed mixture into a large bowl and mix together with the other ingredients.
- Pour about one inch of oil into a pan and bring up to temp on medium-low heat. You’ll know it’s hot enough when you put a little of the batter in the oil, and bubbles spring up around it.
- Using a spoon, place several blobs of batter in the oil (as many as you can fit without crowding). They should be roughly 1/3-1/2 cup each.
- Press the blobs into pancakes with the back of the spoon. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then carefully flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Remove cooked pancakes from the oil and put them on a paper bag or paper towel-lined tray to drain the oil. Serve hot with sour cream and/or applesauce.
