Big Al Frank's Potato Latkes - with some new tips

  

Frying Latkes in Dad's Skillet
Al Frank's Potato Latkes

Super Crispy Outside, Soft Inside

A food processor is used in this recipe.  My dad started using one about 20 years ago.  If you don’t have a food processor, you can use the shredding side of a grater.  It takes a little longer, but my dad used a grater for years and years

Ingredients:                                         Difficulty Rating: Easy to Medium

·       5 lbs baking potatoes – they have to be hard, like Russet.  Peel and cut out all the eyes, because they  add a bitter taste.  Hint - You can easily half or double this recipe. But when you half it,  use 2 eggs and use just a little less than 1 teaspoon baking powder.

·       3 or 4 yams (a variation – use 3or 4 medium size yams, it’s delicious if you want to give it a try)

·       1 big onion

·       3 eggs beaten

·       1 teaspoon baking powder

·       1 palm of Kosher (course) salt (if your palm is small, add more, my dad was a big guy with big hands)

·       Matzo Meal

·       All purpose flour

·       oil – a light oil like canola or sunflower oil or a light vegetable oil

Tip 1 - put a cheese cloth in a big colander in the pot or bowl you are using and put the shredded   potatoes in the cheese cloth covered colander.  The moisture will drip out through the colander and then you can squeeze the extra out using the cheese cloth.  Once you squeeze it all out, open it up, toss the potatoes around and squeeze them in the cheese cloth again to ensure that all the moisture is out.  If they aren't dry, they won't hold together.

Tip 2 -  Potato Latkes should be golden brown and crispy.  They often start out  that way, but by the time they hit the table they are soft.  Or, people make the mixture ahead of time and do the frying right before dinner, but then the potatoes turn black and ugly.  This year my sister Carol and I tried something new.  We cooked the latkes until they held together like a pancake but were not yet golden brown.  Then right before we served them we refried them in hot oil for about 45 seconds per side, or until they are golden on each side.  It is fast and a perfect way to serve perfect latkes even for a large crowd.

If you have one, use a heavy frying pan, if not, use what you have. Sometimes we use 2 frying pans to get this done faster, if you do that, you’ll need more oil. But usually there is too much going on in my small kitchen to use 2 pans

Cut the onion into pieces that will fit in the food processor - put in food processor with bottom blade – and process


Remove the bottom blade, put on top blade with shredder side up (not slicer)

Shred potatoes and then put them into a very large bowl or pot (preferably a colander covered with cheese cloth)

When they’re all shredded you need to get as much moisture out as possible. I do the following:
Drain excess liquid from potato mixture - if you have them in a colander over a bowl or pan, push them down and squish the moisture out.  If you're following the cheese cloth hint above, squeeze the moisture out, toss the potatoes around and squeeze again.  Only dry potatoes hold their shape.

Add eggs to onion/potato mixture

Add baking powder and salt

Cover mixture with flour  (not too thick, not too thin - that's what Dad told me)

Cover this mixture with matzo meal (thicker than flour)

Mix everything together - I use my hands because there's a lot of potatoes here.

Taste to be sure salt is OK (hint - if you taste before adding the matzo meal and flour it may taste too salty, always taste after they've been added)

(In the variation using the yams, the mixture doesn’t get as wet, but it is ok)

Heat the oil in a very large frying pan (or two). The oil has to be very hot or the pancakes will fall apart

Important - the oil must be very hot, but not smoking.  I usually am not patient enough to wait for the oil to be hot enough and my first batch fails.

Scoop some mixture into a slotted spoon - make it just enough to allow at least 4 pancakes to cook at the same time with enough room that they don't touch – don’t expect to make it into a pancake before it is in the oil.  Just carefully place it into the hot oil and it will stay together.

Before turning it over, lift it a little to be sure bottom is deep golden brown (they’re the most delicious when they’re crispy).

Remove from heat when both sides are golden.  When you lift them out with a spatula, press top of the pancake with a big fork or against the side of the pan to get excess oil out.  Drain on acookie sheet covered with paper towels (or a brown paper bag like Dad used to do)to get as much oil out as possible. 

General Hint - Keep an eye on the people in the kitchen at this point, because they will trying to sneak a latke.

Tip 3 - This is my sister Meryl's tip for cooking and freezing lateks ahead of time, and keeping them crispy. 
Cook the latkes as you normally would. When the are cool freeze them in a single layer.  When you are going to use them, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Put the latkes in a single layer on a rack in the oven.  Cook for 10 - 15 minutes or until warm all the way through.  Voila!  Crispy delicious latkes!

Traditionally, for Chanukah, Potato Latkes are served with apple sauce.