Crispy Potato Latkes for a Hanukkah Party
What's inside
Water is what makes latkes soggy
Crispness comes down to how much liquid you remove. Use starchy potatoes: russets in the US and Canada, Maris Piper or King Edward in the UK, Sebago or Russet Burbank in Australia. Waxy potatoes stay limp. Grate the onion together with the potatoes, because the onion juice slows the gray discoloration. Then wring the shreds hard in a clean towel until only a few drops come out. Let the squeezed liquid sit for 2 minutes and pour it off. The white paste left at the bottom is potato starch, so scrape it back into the mix to act as free glue. Work straight from grating to squeezing to mixing, and start heating the oil while you squeeze. Shredded potato left sitting turns brown and weepy within about 15 minutes.
Hot oil, no crowding
Use about 1/4 inch (6 mm) of neutral oil, such as canola, vegetable or peanut, in a heavy 12-inch (30 cm) skillet. Skip the peanut oil if a guest has a peanut allergy. Keep the oil at 350–375°F (175–190°C). If you don't have a thermometer, a shred of potato dropped in should sizzle hard right away. Always fry one test latke first. It shows you the seasoning, whether the mix holds together, and how long a side takes, and costs you only about 7 minutes. Fry 5–6 latkes at a time, never more. Overcrowding drops the oil temperature and the latkes turn greasy. Flatten each one to about 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick with lacy edges, since thin edges are where the crunch is. Between rounds, skim out burnt bits and top up the oil, then wait about a minute for it to get hot again. Keep the skillet lid or a sheet pan within reach. If the oil ever catches fire, turn off the burner and slide the lid on. Never use water.
Fry just before, fry ahead, or freeze
- Fry just before guests arrive (default): keep finished latkes in a single layer on a wire rack set over a sheet pan in a 250°F (120°C) oven for up to 1 hour. Never stack them and never hold them on paper towels, because steam softens the bottoms.
- Fry earlier the same day: cool them on the rack, refrigerate uncovered, then reheat on the rack at 400°F (200°C) for 8–10 minutes. Most experienced hosts do this, because the house doesn't smell of frying when guests arrive and you're not stuck at the stove. It's also the easy way to bring latkes to someone else's party.
- Freeze up to 1 month: freeze in a single layer, then bag them. Reheat from frozen at 400°F (200°C) for 12–15 minutes.
One 2 lb (900 g) potato batch makes about 18–20 latkes. To scale, plan 3–4 latkes per guest as a side, or 5–6 if latkes are the main event. Multiply everything from one batch, but mix each batch fresh rather than grating 6 lb at once. As a shortcut, a 30 oz (850 g) bag of thawed, squeezed frozen shredded hash browns can replace the grated potatoes. For gluten-free latkes, swap the flour for potato starch or matzo meal that is labeled gluten-free.
How to tell they're right
A good latke is deep golden brown, not pale tan. It sounds crisp when tapped with a fork, the center is tender rather than raw, and it leaves only a light oil mark on the rack. If the outside darkens before the inside cooks, the oil is too hot or the latke is too thick.
- When the test latke falls apart in the oil or spreads into loose shreds→Stir 1 more tablespoon of flour or matzo meal into the mix, squeeze each scoop in your palm before it goes in the pan, and wait to flip until the edges are clearly brown.
- When liquid pools at the bottom of the bowl halfway through frying→Tilt the bowl and pour the liquid off, then press each scoop against the side of the bowl before frying it.
- When the oil starts smoking or latkes go dark brown in under 2 minutes→Turn the heat down one notch, take the pan off the burner for 30 seconds, and skim out the burnt bits before the next round.
- • Starchy potatoes — 2 lb (900 g)
- • Yellow onion — 1 pcs
- • Large eggs — 2 pcs
- • All-purpose flour or matzo meal — 1/4 cup (30 g)
- • Kosher salt — 1 1/2 tsp
- • Black pepper — 1/2 tsp
- • Neutral frying oil — 3 cups (710 ml)
- • Applesauce — 1 1/2 cups (360 ml)
- • Sour cream — 3/4 cup (180 ml)
- • Box grater or food processor with shredding disc — 1 pcs
- • Clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth — 1 pcs
- • Large mixing bowls — 2 pcs
- • Heavy 12-inch (30 cm) skillet with lid — 1 pcs
- • Instant-read or clip-on thermometer — 1 pcs
- • 1/4-cup measure — 1 pcs
- • Thin metal spatula — 1 pcs
- • Rimmed sheet pan with wire rack — 1 sets
- 01Grate potatoes and onionGrate peeled potatoes and the onion on the large holes, alternating between them so the onion juice coats the potato and keeps it from turning gray.⏱ 15 min
- 02Squeeze and mix the batterWring the shreds in a towel over a bowl until almost dry, pour off the liquid after 2 minutes, and stir the settled starch back in with the eggs, flour, salt and pepper.⏱ 10 min
- 03Heat the oil and fry a test latkeHeat 1/4 inch (6 mm) of oil to 350–375°F (175–190°C), then fry one 1/4-cup scoop flattened to 3/8 inch (1 cm) for 3–4 minutes per side and taste it for salt and a tender center.⏱ 12 min
- 04Fry in batchesFry 5–6 at a time for 3–4 minutes per side until deep golden, move them to the wire rack, and skim and top up the oil between each of the 3–4 rounds.⏱ 35 min
- 05Hold or reheat and serveKeep the latkes in a single layer on the rack in a 250°F (120°C) oven, or reheat made-ahead ones at 400°F (200°C) for 8–10 minutes until they sizzle, then serve with applesauce and sour cream.⏱ 10 min