Potato Latkes



A staple in Jewish homes on Hannukah, potato latkes (pronounced lot-kuz) were a big part of my childhood. Being a non-orthodox Jewish family, we didn’t keep to every single traditional dish -- we ate pork, non-kosher foods, and skipped the whole display of candles surrounded by gefilte fish and sufgoniyot -- but we kept potato latkes in our food vault. Also known as a potato pancake and similar to a hashbrown, a potato latke is simply potato, egg, onion, and seasoning. I was never a fan of the hashbrowns my grandfather would make frequently for breakfast, but I loved some potato latkes.

For me, what really makes this dish so delicious is when dollops of both apple sauce and sour cream are added to the latkes to top them off. I can never choose either one, so I always add both! Honestly, I’m not too crazy about sour cream, so I HAVE to add apple sauce to it to combat the sour taste with some sweetness.

Potato latkes can be eaten as an appetizer or a meal. My grandfather would serve them to our family with a bowl of matzo ball soup. A simple yet comforting meal!


Potato Latkes


Ingredients:

  • 6 potatoes (medium, peeled)
  • 1 onion
  • 2 eggs (beaten)
  • 3/4 cup matzo meal (fine or flour)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Pepper to taste
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Apple sauce and/or sour cream to serve

Directions:

  • Grate potatoes and onion in a food processor. Dry grated potato and onion mixture by wrapping with a paper towel to absorb the liquid.
  • Transfer to a large bowl, add eggs and matzo meal, and mix. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Heat 1 inch of oil in a large skillet. Drop tablespoons of the potato mixture into the hot oil and cook for 2 minutes until browned on the bottom. Turn and cook 1-2 minutes on the other side until browned.
  • Transfer to paper towels to drain. Continue with the rest of the mixture.
  • Serve warm with apple sauce and/or sour cream.

Makes 6 servings







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