Potato Latkes Recipe (skillet-oven method - less smell!) (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep potato pancake batter from turning brown? ›

What can I do to keep the potato batter from turning brown? A: When shredding the potatoes be sure to add some acidity (such as a teaspoon of white wine vinegar or concentrated lemon juice to the water. This is one dish where doing the prep work the night before can ruin the meal.

Heat a large heavy skillet or cast iron pan until medium hot, then heat enough oil in the pan to cover bottom of pan (a ¼ inch or so). The key to creating a non-stick surface with a skillet like this is to make sure the pan is hot, and then the oil is also hot before introducing the batter.

It commemorates and celebrates the miracle that occurred after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, when the flame of the eternal lamp burned for eight days, even though there was only enough oil to last one day.

Before the potato, latkes were made with grains like rye, cheese, and vegetables like turnips, carrots, and even beans. Safe to say, though, that with the addition of this new world tuber the latke has found a friend forever. Cassola pancakes, a Sephardic cheese fritter thought to resemble latkes of the Medieval days.

Of course, you can spray each potato with a little lemon juice or white vinegar, but if you don't want to flavour your potatoes, simply add about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to about 2 litres of water.

If the pancakes are getting too dark but the bubbles haven't started to burst, lower the heat. If they are still blonde but the bubbles are bursting, increase the heat. Flip and cook until cooked through and other side of pancakes are golden brown, about two minutes longer.

Vegetable oil or canola oil is usually best, because of its high smoking point. Latkes were traditionally made with schmaltz, or chicken fat, so if you have access to it, you should certainly add it in, because it does contribute to the flavor.

To keep your cooked latkes piping hot and crisp, drain them on a paper-towel lined baking sheet for a few seconds. Then transfer the drained latkes to a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Keep warm in a 250˚ oven.

When you grate raw potatoes, you release starch that can cause them to oxidize, or turn dark. The best way to keep that from happening is to cover the potatoes with cold water, then drain them very well and pat them dry before cooking.

During the Jewish holiday, eating crispy, fried, slightly oniony potato pancakes represents perseverance, and a little bit of magic. But miraculously it lasted eight days. Centuries after the fact, Jews were told to celebrate by eating foods cooked in oil.

What is the best vegetable oil for latkes? ›

“Canola oil is the oil I grew up frying my latkes in. It makes for crispy, light latkes with a soft inside. Canola oil can also heat up to a high enough temperature to cook the whole latke through.” Canola gets bonus points because you can reuse it.

Potato pancakes have a creamy, almost mashed-potato-like center, with a thin, golden, crisp exterior. Latkes, on the other hand, should have a deeply browned crust, with wispy, lacy edges.

Though the potato pancake is a Polish invention, it does exist in many other European cuisines too. They are common in Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Austria and Germany. In Jewish cuisine they are known as latkes, while Hungarians love them accompanied by paprika sauce.

The sour cream and apple sauce on potato pancakes is simply for flavor. Some have the custom of eating dairy in memory of the wine and cheese “party” that Yehudit served for Holofernes, but this is less common than serving foods cooked in oil.

– Always serve latkes hot and fresh if possible.

When ready to reheat, place in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes (7 if using a convection oven) until heated through just prior to serving. A convection oven setting will produce a more crispy result.