Nothing says tradition better than a well-seasoned, crispy potato latke topped with sour cream and chives or applesauce. No Chanukah is complete without at least one potato latke meal. We have three variations that should please any latke fan: traditional, mixed potato, and mixed root vegetable.

Be sure to use high-heat oil, which will help keep things from burning. Pay attention to the temperature of the oil—keep it between 325° and 350° F—and you’ll be rewarded with extra-crispy latkes that are not at all greasy, just tasty. Also, if you have a latke assistant, the recipe can be doubled, tripled, gazillioned for Chanukah parties.

Makes 24 latkes

Frying time: 6 to 8 minutes

Dairy-free option available

Ingredients

  • 3 large russet potatoes (3 pounds)
  • 1 large yellow onion (225 grams, ½ pound)
  • ½ cup superfine brown rice flour (60 grams)
  • 3 extra-large eggs (180 grams)
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 32 ounces safflower or other high-heat vegetable oil (896 grams)

Toppings

  • Applesauce
  • Sour cream or non-dairy sour cream

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 170° F or your preferred keep-warm setting. Line a baking sheet with layers of paper towels.
  2. Peel the potatoes, cut to fit a food processor chute, and place in cold water to keep them from turning brown. Cut the onion in half. Using a grater attachment, grate all the potatoes and onion together. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Using the cutting blade, finely grind half of the mixture. Return to the bowl with the remaining grated potato and onion, and mix to combine. Alternatively, if grating by hand, coarsely grate half of the mixture and finely grate the other half, then combine the two mixtures in a large bowl.
  3. Line a colander with a clean dish towel. Place the colander in a large bowl. Place the potato mixture in the lined colander. Squeeze the life out of the mixture to get the liquid out. It will be messy, but keep going until it is pretty dry, because too much liquid in the latke mixture spells greasy, icky, heavy, messy pancakes.
  4. Empty the liquid from the large bowl. Place the potato mixture in the bowl and add the flour, eggs, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
  5. Fill a cast-iron skillet with ¼ inch of oil. Heat the oil until a tiny bit of the mixture sizzles when dropped in. Maintain an oil level that is ¼ inch deep with a temperature of 325° to 350° F at all times.
  6. Scoop ¼ cup of batter for each pancake, flatten to 4 inches in diameter, and fry over medium heat until nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. If the oil is not hot enough, the potatoes will absorb the oil and just be greasy; if the oil is too hot, the potatoes will be black on the outside and the inside will be raw—325° F is the right temperature.
  7. Place the finished latkes on the paper towel–lined baking sheet. Place the sheet in the oven to keep warm while finishing up the other latkes.
  8. Serve the latkes warm, topped with applesauce and/or sour cream.

Latke Variations

  • Mixed Potato Latke: Replace the russet potatoes with a combination of Yukon Gold, red, sweet and purple potatoes (total 1360 grams/3 pounds).
  • Mixed Root Vegetable Latkes: In addition to the three large russet potatoes, add no more than 45 grams (⅓ cup) of mixed shredded carrot, parsnip, and acorn or butternut squash.