Chanukah is celebrated this year from December 12-20. We are not experts on Chanukah. Not at all. However, we know people who are and they say there is still a huge debate about what is the best Chanukah dish. But there does seem to be some agreement on the one dish that is a MUST. Latkes.
They can be corn, or butternut squash, sweet potato, vegetable or..wait for it...beets - but there's nothing that tops straight up golden fried potato latkes. Unless we're wrong. Let us know.
From the
Chabad.org website:
Chanukah food traditions have their origins in the first years that the holiday was celebrated and are meant to remind us of certain miracles associated with the events of Chanukah itself. And, of course, remembering the miracles and the freedom that we're all celebrating adds a special flavor to everything we serve . . .
You'll need onion, oil, salt, potatoes, eggs, flour and oil. While the recipe works with any type of potato, using Yukon Gold will be much more aesthetically pleasing because they discolor much more slowly than other potatoes and will keep your mixture looking bright and fresh for longer. They also have a buttery taste which will take your latkes to the next level.
Most latke recipes call for raw onion, but I like to fry them off first to give the latkes more flavor. Dice the onion and sauté it in 2 tbsp. oil and 1 tsp. salt until golden.
Peel and grate the potatoes (by hand or with a food processor) and immediately put the potato shreds into a bowl of cold water. Continue shredding until all the potatoes are grated.
Place the eggs, flour, fried onion and 2 tsp. salt in a separate bowl. Drain the grated potato well, add it to the rest of the ingredients and mix immediately.
Heat 2-4 tbsp. of oil in a frying pan, over medium heat. Test the oil by dropping a tiny bit of the mixture into the pan. When the oil sizzles upon contact, it is ready.
TIP: Add a small piece of carrot to the oil you're frying in. When the carrot starts to looks shriveled and brown, replace it with a fresh piece. The carrot helps absorb the burnt taste from the oil, and you can keep frying for longer without changing the oil.
For uniform latkes, use a 1/4 or 1/8 cup measuring cup. Scoop the batter and gently drop it into the oil. Press down gently with the back of the measuring cup to flatten. Fry 2-3 minutes until golden, then flip the latkes and fry 1-2 minutes on the second side. Repeat until all the mixture has been fried. (You will need to add more oil to the pan every couple of batches.)
Latkes taste best fresh, but if you need to make them in advance, I recommend reheating them in a frying pan with a tiny bit of oil to help them crisp up again.
Ingredients:
½ an onion
2 tbsp. oil
3 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1.5 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes
2 eggs
¼ cup flour
Oil for frying
Directions:
1. Dice the onion and sauté it in 2 tbsp. oil and 1 tsp. salt until golden.
2. Grate the potatoes (by hand or in a food processor). Immediately transfer the grated potato to a bowl of cold water.
3. Place the eggs, flour, fried onion and 2 tsp. salt in a separate bowl. Drain the grated potato well, add it to the rest of the ingredients and mix immediately.
4. Heat 2-4 tbsp. of oil in a frying pan, over medium heat. Test the oil by dropping a tiny bit of the mixture into the pan. When the oil sizzles upon contact, it is ready.
5. For uniform latkes, use a 1/4 or 1/8 cup measuring cup. Scoop the batter and gently drop it into the oil. Press down gently with the back of the measuring cup to flatten. Fry 2-3 minutes until golden, then flip the latkes and fry 1-2 minutes on the second side. Repeat until all the mixture has been fried. (You will need to add more oil to the pan every couple of batches.)
