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Forum -> Yom Tov / Holidays -> Chanukah
Help! Amazing easy latkes?



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WhatFor




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Nov 27 2021, 9:26 pm
Every year I really don't look forward to latke making, even though I look forward to having and serving them. It always feels like a huge patchke and after all my work, I never feel like I've "mastered" the latke anyway. I'm literally singing that "I tried to make some latkes" song every year while I do it. Then I get to the part "just eat the latkes that mommy made for you!" and I bemoan the fact that the mommy is the one singing the song.

One year I read that the secret was squeezing out all the liquid, and it just added more work and mess and I'm not even sure if it helped. Ditto to changing the oil between batches. Slowly I've just added more work and I'm not sure things even improved. I'd like a slightly fluffier thicker latke, also to know how to make them more consistent in size. Simply not making them isn't the solution I'm looking for. I would never use a latke mix so that's out. (No judgment if you do, just not for me.) I'm looking to somehow mastering them and being proud of my latkes and not feeling stressed about the mess of making them.

So....

Do you make a great latke? Any tips that don't also make things more complicated? Is a better recipe the trick? TIA!
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ra_mom




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Nov 27 2021, 9:35 pm
For consistent sizing, use a 1/4 measuring cup to scoop up the batter and drop neatly into the oil - then press down with a spoon.

And don't squeeze out the liquid. It provides good starch to bind the latkes together.
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challahchallah




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Nov 27 2021, 9:37 pm
As a way to get some of the liquid out without added work, I scoop with a slotted spoon.
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amother
Tomato


 

Post Sat, Nov 27 2021, 9:39 pm
Super super easy (making them as we speak)!. I'm not a chefy foodie type, so when I say easy I mean easy!

Let's do a recipe with 3 large potatoes . Will make about 13-15 latkes. I like to do mine in batches like this.

Peel potatoes into bowl of cold water. Grate them into other bowl and between each one Grate an onion as well.

Let's say you do 3 large potatoes so that will be 2 onions grated with them.

Add 3 eggs

Salt

Pepper about half- 3/4 cup flour. Mix is all up

Scoop with your hands, squeeze out, form a patty out in frying pan that has simmering olive oil. I like to use olive oil.
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Stars




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Nov 27 2021, 9:52 pm
I started making them in the Betty Crocker pizza maker. No oil splattered all over, doesn’t leave a frying smell for weeks, minimal mess, and it takes very fast to cook. I grate 3 potatoes at a time so the batter doesn’t turn brown. Mix with 1 egg and some salt and pepper.
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amother
Seagreen


 

Post Sat, Nov 27 2021, 10:16 pm
I buy frozen shredded potatoes--Ore Ida are kosher, and so are some store brands. I put them in a colander in the sink for a few hours to let them defrost/drain.
I actually cook the latkes in the oven in a deep roaster pan. I use a lot of oil, and I heat it in the oven at around 475 before putting in the latke batter. Then I bake it at that high heat for around 20 minutes, remove from oven, flip them, and put them back in for another 10 minutes or so. I can make more at a time like this than over the stove, and it removes the whole element of standing over a hot spattering pan.
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amother
Seagreen


 

Post Sat, Nov 27 2021, 10:19 pm
I buy frozen shredded potatoes--Ore Ida are kosher, and so are some store brands. I put them in a colander in the sink for a few hours to let them defrost/drain.
I actually cook the latkes in the oven in a deep roaster pan. I use a lot of oil, and I heat it in the oven at around 475 before putting in the latke batter. Then I bake it at that high heat for around 20 minutes, remove from oven, flip them, and put them back in for another 10 minutes or so. I can make more at a time like this than over the stove, and it removes the whole element of standing over a hot spattering pan.
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amother
Brown


 

Post Sun, Nov 28 2021, 7:26 pm
amother [ Tomato ] wrote:
Super super easy (making them as we speak)!. I'm not a chefy foodie type, so when I say easy I mean easy!

Let's do a recipe with 3 large potatoes . Will make about 13-15 latkes. I like to do mine in batches like this.

Peel potatoes into bowl of cold water. Grate them into other bowl and between each one Grate an onion as well.

Let's say you do 3 large potatoes so that will be 2 onions grated with them.

Add 3 eggs

Salt

Pepper about half- 3/4 cup flour. Mix is all up

Scoop with your hands, squeeze out, form a patty out in frying pan that has simmering olive oil. I like to use olive oil.


I wanted to thank you! Made these latkes tonight they were delicious!
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amother
Poinsettia


 

Post Sun, Nov 28 2021, 8:23 pm
I don't follow this recipe exactly (e.g. I don't have a cast iron pan) but the overall technique is great: https://www.seriouseats.com/ho.....guide

This makes really good latkes. (Also, I usually make a big batch, maybe 11-12 potatoes, and I set up two frying pans or saute pans on the stove at the same time so that I can multitask.)
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amother
Tomato


 

Post Sun, Nov 28 2021, 10:34 pm
amother [ Brown ] wrote:
I wanted to thank you! Made these latkes tonight they were delicious!


I'm so glad!!
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Zehava




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 28 2021, 10:39 pm
amother [ Seagreen ] wrote:
I buy frozen shredded potatoes--Ore Ida are kosher, and so are some store brands. I put them in a colander in the sink for a few hours to let them defrost/drain.
I actually cook the latkes in the oven in a deep roaster pan. I use a lot of oil, and I heat it in the oven at around 475 before putting in the latke batter. Then I bake it at that high heat for around 20 minutes, remove from oven, flip them, and put them back in for another 10 minutes or so. I can make more at a time like this than over the stove, and it removes the whole element of standing over a hot spattering pan.

This seems like a dream! Do they come out crispy this way? Wish I can avoid the whole splattering mess.
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amother
Olive


 

Post Sun, Nov 28 2021, 10:49 pm
Zehava wrote:
This seems like a dream! Do they come out crispy this way? Wish I can avoid the whole splattering mess.


Betty crocker.
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Zehava




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 28 2021, 10:53 pm
amother [ Olive ] wrote:
Betty crocker.

Was planning on that. But there’s still splatter with the Betty Crocker tho less than a frying pan.
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WhatFor




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 28 2021, 11:47 pm
Thank you so much, ladies! I know this sounds hyperbolic, but it's true: I finally made my dream latke! I used a lot of your advice, and I'll write out what I did in way too much detail, even if only to reference this myself next year.

Amother tomato- I used your recipe, with one variation.

Confession: I don't like peeling potatoes. So I use red skin potatoes and don't peel them. I didn't admit this at first because I wanted guidance without people being distracted by my potato choice, and I was right. The recipe worked anyway!

So what I did was, I first mixed all the eggs, flour, and spices in a glass bowl with a large whisk. Then I shredded the potatoes in a blender and added to the liquid, then the onions and added as well. This way there was no rush and no browning of potatoes.

The next thing may have also saved my latkes and definitely helped with the spatter: on a hunch I used a non-stick wok instead of my old frying pan, which has seen better days and currently can't handle much more than a standard omelette. Heat the wok before adding the oil and heat the oil before adding the latke. The thing with a wok is that the oil pools on the bottom so I placed each latke halfway in, but halfway on the edge of the oil pool, then tilted the wok a bit so the oil went under each latke. This worked out amazing. When you want to flip the latke, a wok gives you extra surface to push up along the side and get onto the spatula before flipping. I was able to do three at a time.

Ra_mom, I used your idea with the small cup and it was brilliant! I didn't have a quarter cup size measuring cup but I had a small espresso-size glass that came with a coffee machine once and came in handy here. I measured the contents and it was a third of a cup. I think a quarter cup would've been better because the latkes were slightly easier to flip when I didn't fill the glass all the way.

I started with a medium flame but then went high- I didn't want to be there for eight hours.

It's still a bit tedious, and I was reminded of another challenge I have had in the past. It's hard not to start nibbling on (and consuming all) my ready cooked latkes when I'm standing around waiting for the next batch to cook. I found it helpful to cut vegetables while they cooked so I didn't eat all my latkes. I wasn't even making a salad. I cut the veggies as a distraction and put in containers so that the next salad I make will be a cinch. The only exception I'll say is definitely taste the first latke. I did (initially not for altruistic reasons lol) but I realized that I needed more salt. It's very easy to adjust a latke recipe at any point, so best to taste one in the beginning.

Stars, I don't have a Betty Crocker, but I tried a couple in the air fryer to see what would happen (I know it's not the same thing!) and they didn't come out that great tbh. Edible but not latke-level. Zehava- the wok really helped me with the spatter.

Voila! Behold, a latke!


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amother
Tomato


 

Post Sun, Nov 28 2021, 11:56 pm
Beautiful!
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HappyMom5




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 29 2021, 12:19 am
FYI: putting in some raw carrots (baby carrots or pieces of regular carrot) into the pan while frying the oil helps your subsequent batches taste like the first. It somehow attracts all the small pieces that would otherwise leave a burnt taste to the food.
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ra_mom




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 29 2021, 12:34 am
They look so delicious! 😋
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WhatFor




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Dec 05 2021, 10:36 pm
Update for my own reference next year: so I tried the same recipe again substituting a sweet potato for some of the potatoes. I doubled the recipe and used just about a cup of flour, finishing a cup of flour. I didn't want to open a new pack of flour for just a tiny bit.

Anyway, my first six latkes were not going well at all. They reminded me of the reason I created this post. On a whim, I added a bunch more flour, and that solved the issue. Perfect latkes again. So lesson to me: if the latkes are coming out kind of crumbly, thin, breaking when I lift them, add more flour. I'm not sure if I actually used much less to start with, or if the sweet potato is more liquidy and therefore needed more flour.
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WhatFor




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Dec 17 2022, 11:29 pm
WhatFor wrote:
Thank you so much, ladies! I know this sounds hyperbolic, but it's true: I finally made my dream latke! I used a lot of your advice, and I'll write out what I did in way too much detail, even if only to reference this myself next year.

Amother tomato- I used your recipe, with one variation.

Confession: I don't like peeling potatoes. So I use red skin potatoes and don't peel them. I didn't admit this at first because I wanted guidance without people being distracted by my potato choice, and I was right. The recipe worked anyway!

So what I did was, I first mixed all the eggs, flour, and spices in a glass bowl with a large whisk. Then I shredded the potatoes in a blender and added to the liquid, then the onions and added as well. This way there was no rush and no browning of potatoes.

The next thing may have also saved my latkes and definitely helped with the spatter: on a hunch I used a non-stick wok instead of my old frying pan, which has seen better days and currently can't handle much more than a standard omelette. Heat the wok before adding the oil and heat the oil before adding the latke. The thing with a wok is that the oil pools on the bottom so I placed each latke halfway in, but halfway on the edge of the oil pool, then tilted the wok a bit so the oil went under each latke. This worked out amazing. When you want to flip the latke, a wok gives you extra surface to push up along the side and get onto the spatula before flipping. I was able to do three at a time.

Ra_mom, I used your idea with the small cup and it was brilliant! I didn't have a quarter cup size measuring cup but I had a small espresso-size glass that came with a coffee machine once and came in handy here. I measured the contents and it was a third of a cup. I think a quarter cup would've been better because the latkes were slightly easier to flip when I didn't fill the glass all the way.

I started with a medium flame but then went high- I didn't want to be there for eight hours.

It's still a bit tedious, and I was reminded of another challenge I have had in the past. It's hard not to start nibbling on (and consuming all) my ready cooked latkes when I'm standing around waiting for the next batch to cook. I found it helpful to cut vegetables while they cooked so I didn't eat all my latkes. I wasn't even making a salad. I cut the veggies as a distraction and put in containers so that the next salad I make will be a cinch. The only exception I'll say is definitely taste the first latke. I did (initially not for altruistic reasons lol) but I realized that I needed more salt. It's very easy to adjust a latke recipe at any point, so best to taste one in the beginning.

Stars, I don't have a Betty Crocker, but I tried a couple in the air fryer to see what would happen (I know it's not the same thing!) and they didn't come out that great tbh. Edible but not latke-level. Zehava- the wok really helped me with the spatter.

Voila! Behold, a latke!




I'd like to extend a thank you to all the ladies who helped me make last year's latke, and also a thank you to the 2021 version of me for writing this all out for 2022 me.
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myname1




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 19 2022, 2:24 am
WhatFor wrote:
I'd like to extend a thank you to all the ladies who helped me make last year's latke, and also a thank you to the 2021 version of me for writing this all out for 2022 me.

Wow, and I'd like to extend a thank you to Amother Tomato and to you from 2021 for writing this and to you from 2022 for bumping this. I made them last night as a test run for a Chanukah party, and they were delicious! Much more flour, eggs, and onions than my old recipe, but I like the texture much more. Thanks and Chanukah sameach!
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