need a never fail potato latke recipe

Mirel

Mon, Dec 01 2008, 1:59 pm

I have to say, Im a pretty good cook, and most things I make come out good. But when Chanukah comes around my cooking ego goes down the drain. My latkes either fall apart in the pan, come out too oily, or raw in the middle....what is the trick?

yo'ma

Mon, Dec 01 2008, 2:01 pm

Your oil has to be hot before frying and make sure you have enough eggs. As for the inside raw, cook it longer on a lower flame.

chanagital

Mon, Dec 01 2008, 2:38 pm

I use very hot oil so that if you drop oil it starts to pop and a good mix or I make fresh depending on my dh. The other thing I do and I am not ashamed of it is I buy Linda's Homemade Lakes and warm them in the oven.. they taste just like fresh and I don't have to get out the oil and put my kitchen in a mess or nearly burn it down like I did one chanukkah. They arrive within two days. To order just goto:
http://lindasgourmetlatkes.com/

Chocoholic

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 5:13 pm

Potato Latkes
Overcoming the Fear of Frying

By Levana Kirschenbaum

You may have guessed it: I have nothing nice to say about frying. Years ago, while fishing for a stubborn schnitzel in the frying pan, I burned my hand. While a scar reminds me of my aversion to frying, I will be the first to admit that there is no Chanukah without latkes.

In my catering career and for my friends and family at home, I have made thousands upon thousands of them and always watch them disappear at a flatteringly alarming rate. There is no doubt about it: latkes are a wonderful treat, and once we enter a house where their heavenly fragrance wafts through the kitchen, even a Spartan dieter will sheepishly watch his or her noble resolution turn to dust.

Frying (stir-frying does not fall into this category, as it requires very little oil and minimal cooking) is the nemesis of every health-conscious cook, me included. However, on special occasions such as Chanukah that call for fried foods, I follow these guidelines to efficiently and safely fry holiday treats.

Keep it dry: Too much moisture will steam food instead of frying it, yielding soggy results. Before you begin, be sure to dry whatever you are frying thoroughly with paper towels.

Keep it thick: Use a firm (not runny) potato batter to form thick patties, which will absorb much less oil than thinner ones. The outside will be crisp and the center will be tender, yet cooked through.

Keep it hot: Less-than-hot oil will seep into your food, making it indelibly greasy. If you add oil to the pan while frying, chances are the oil was not hot enough to begin with. If you wait for the oil to get hot, you will need to add very little, if any, to finish frying an entire batch of food. How hot is hot enough? Drop a smidgen of batter into the oil. If it sizzles and rises to the surface, the oil is hot and ready for frying.

Keep it steady: Do not crowd the pan. First of all, you will make handling the food more difficult. Also, crowding will bring down the temperature of the oil. Adding what you are frying at steady intervals ensures that the oil has time to return to the desired temperature.

Keep it lean: Rather than using spatulas or slotted spoons which sop up unnecessary oil, work with two forks when removing items from the pan. Lift each fried item with a fork on each side, and hold it vertically for a second or two over the frying pan: You will be surprised by how much oil drips off it. Immediately place the items on a plate lined with several layers of paper towels, which will absorb any remaining unwanted grease.

Keep it white: Peeled potatoes oxidize when exposed to air and turn an unappealing gray color. So when making latkes (or a potato kugel), get everything ready before your peel and grate the potatoes, adding them immediately to the otherwise finished batter.

Keep it fresh and hot: If you are entertaining a large group, it won’t be enormous fun spending the afternoon frying while everyone is having a good time. If you must fry in advance, follow all the above guidelines, but fry each item until it is ninety percent cooked through, no more. Store it in a shallow pan in one layer. You can also place the latkes in the pan vertically, like a deck of cards; you will be able to fit quite a few in a pan in this position (again, one layer). Cover tightly. Refrigerate or freeze, depending on how long in advance you are preparing the dish. Reheat uncovered, at about 350*F, for fifteen to twenty minutes, or until heated through.

Levana’s Perfect Potato Latkes

(yields 24 latkes)

Ingedients:

* vegetable oil for frying
* 1 cup flour
* 4 eggs
* 1 medium onion, grated in a food processor
* salt and pepper to taste
* pinch nutmeg
* 8 large Idaho or russet potatoes, peeled
*

Heat 1/3 inch oil in a heavy frying pan until very hot. While the oil is heating, place the flour, eggs, onion, salt and pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl, and mix thoroughly. Quickly grate the potatoes in a food processor, using the thin grating blade for soft latkes or the thick grater blade for crunchier latkes. Immediately add them to the batter, mixing with a spoon and without pressing on the solids in order not to draw unwanted moisture. Work very quickly so they do not have time to get discolored. Form small patties with both hands without ever squeezing, and lower them into the hot oil (at this point reduce the flame just slightly: leave it on high but not the highest), or drop the batter by heaping tablespoons. Fry until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve with applesauce, yogurt or sour cream.

Variations:

Vegetable latkes: Replace the potatoes with a mixture of zucchini, carrots and parsnips. Add seasonings of your choice such as oregano, garlic and basil.

Sweet potato latkes: Substitute sweet potatoes for the regular potatoes, and add brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger to taste.

Potato Kugel: Add 1/3 cup of vegetable oil to the potato latke batter. Pour the batter into a greased loaf or square pan, and bake uncovered in a preheated 375 degree F oven for one hour or until the top is golden brown.

copyright chabad.org

Tehilla

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 6:50 pm

I make 'golden fluffies' for latkes. I make mashed potatoes, then shape them into patties with egg, margarine, non-dairy creamer and spices and then fry them in olive oil.

works for me.

3Qts

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 6:53 pm

Tehilla I call that Chremsel and associate it with Pesach.

Tehilla

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 6:55 pm

that's cool...I just don't have the patience for shredded potatoes and making latkes.

so we have golden fluffies. LOL

mummiedearest

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 6:57 pm

I never use measurements, but here goes:

grated potatoes
grated onion
eggs
salt
pepper

some tips:

heat the oil so if you drop a bit of water in it is sizzles immediately. this makes the pan non-stick and the frying quicker.

try to squeeze the liquid out of the potatoes and onions before adding the egg(s).

when spooning the mixture onto the pan, squeeze the spoonful against the side of the bowl first. otherwise the latkes will be too eggy.

after dropping the mixture in the pan, flatten it with the back of a spoon.

make sure the latkes are ready to be flipped before flipping them. lift a corner to make sure the bottom is no less than golden brown.

flip the finished latkes directly on to a paper towel so you don't end up with soggy latkes.

AlwaysGrateful

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 9:09 pm

How on earth do you make latkas with an infant around? I'm thinking of buying the premade (or not making at all) because in previous years it's taken me quite a while to peel all the potatoes and the onions, dump them in the food processor with the rest of the ingredients, and stand there frying them (and adjusting the recipe, if necessary)...

I can leave my baby for a maximum of about 15 minutes on his mat or in his exersaucer (and sometimes not even that long). Should I just skip the latkas this year?

mummiedearest

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 9:12 pm

it helps if you do it while the baby's napping and use multiple frying pans. it seriously cuts out the frying time. last year I had a 1.5 month old on chanuka and I used two frying pans. after putting the latkes in the pan I walked across the floor to the other room to get away from the heat and say hi to the kids. I timed it. walking all the way to the other end of the floor and back was exactly enough time for one side to brown properly, so I got some exercise and paid some attention to the kids while cooking. (do not do this without a baby gate for the kitchen.)

Tehilla

Thu, Dec 04 2008, 8:21 am

multiple frying pans is a recipe for disaster for me! LOL

I'm officially forbidden from attempting pancakes on the stovetop again, after the deep purple burns stretching up my forearm...can't imagine multiple pans!

birdstar

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 12:33 pm

you can always make the latkes ahead of time and freeze them and then on the day you are serving them put them in oven about 400 F for 10 minutes.

I like to grate my potatoes with the skins on and then drain off the liquid from them so they are nice and crisp

frumluv

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 12:40 pm

Can you use pre-shredded hash browns instead of grating the potatoes yourself??

Yes I am trying to save time & my hand from hurting...lol

mummiedearest

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 7:40 pm

frumluv wrote:

Can you use pre-shredded hash browns instead of grating the potatoes yourself??

Yes I am trying to save time & my hand from hurting...lol

if you have a food processor it takes a couple of minutes with no risk to your hands. you can try the preshredded stuff and let us know how it goes...

rachel19977

Mon, Dec 22 2008, 3:31 am

I minimized the recipe and put 3 potatoes, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 2 eggs, salt, pepper, and pareve chicken soup seasoning. Fried in Canola oil, don't know where to find peanut oil where I live.

DS4 was actually home with me and helped me peel the potatoes while I sifted the flour and got ready an oatmeal/cottage cheese patty ready! Did it while DD6m was sleeping.

Hey, it was YUMMY. I even took some to DD2 pre-school. DH wanted to eat it with chumus and in a pita!

mali

Mon, Dec 22 2008, 6:37 am

chanagital wrote:

and you pay $14.50 for 24 skimpy bite-size latkes?! I'd rather give the kids more chanukah gelt if I have money to spare.

mali

Mon, Dec 22 2008, 6:41 am

and that's not including shipping charges - "just" $25.

and I see you must order a minimum of two containers. just get yourself a good food processor instead!

shalhevet

Mon, Dec 22 2008, 11:58 am

Maybe we should start a new thread on who makes/ buys the most expensive latkes...