- 1 medium onion, peeled
- 4 large russet or Idaho potatoes (about 3 1/2 pounds), peeled
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Applesauce, sour cream and/or ketchup for serving
Using box grater or food processor fitted with grating disc, coarsely grate onion and place in colander set in sink. Coarsely grate potatoes, add to colander, and set aside to drain.
In large mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs, then whisk in flour.
Press potatoes and onion to extract as much liquid as possible, then add to egg/flour mixture. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using wooden spoon or hands, mix well, but do not overwork.
In heavy-bottomed, 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter until hot but not smoking. Drop 4 scant 1/4-cup portions of potato mixture into pan and flatten with spatula to form four 3-inch pancakes.
Fry until bottoms are golden-brown, 4 to 5 minutes, then turn over and fry until golden-brown and crisp, an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain; season immediately with salt and pepper. Keep warm on baking sheets in oven while making remaining pancakes.
Using paper towels, carefully wipe out pan. Add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter and fry 4 more pancakes. Repeat with remaining batter, wiping out pan and adding 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter before each batch.
Serve pancakes hot with ketchup, applesauce and/or sour cream.
Note To Self: Our niece Carrie originally posted a recipe for these on her food blog (that's the link below the picture) which we made and we were hooked! After trying them, Chris remembered that his mom used to make these. The recipe posted here is the one Chris has been using and is basically the same except for the oil/butter combo and slightly different measurements. The tips below we found to be very helpful. These are great! Everyone loves them and we'd make them more often except they take a little bit of time and the house smells like them for days. We skip the oven because we serve them as they come off and not all together. We also use two skillets to speed things up. The kids mostly like plain ketchup and I haven't tried applesauce yet. Chris and I prefer a ketchup/sour cream mixture.
Four Keys to Successful Pancakes:
- Speed Things Up - Once you peel and grate the potatoes, work as quickly as possible to prevent discoloration — after a few minutes, they'll start to oxidize and turn brown.
- Dry It Out - Squeeze all the liquid you can from the potatoes and onions—lingering water will keep the pancakes from holding together and cooking properly.
- Mix Your Fats - You can cook latkes in either oil or butter, but a mixture of the two will combine the flavor of butter with oil's high smoking point (which helps protect against scorching or burning). We like a one-to-one ratio.
- Keep the Crunch - Potato pancakes are best served as soon as possible, before they lose their crunch. Of course, if you're frying them in batches (as in these recipes), you'll need to keep the first batches warm in the oven while you cook the rest. But as long as you work somewhat quickly, they'll retain most of their texture and flavor. Using two pans can lessen the holding time, but be sure you're comfortable with the frying process—you'll need to watch both pans closely to prevent burning. Or, if your kitchen is close to your guests, offer the latkes as they come out of the pan, after a brief drain on paper towels.
Comments