Nothing like the way our bubbies made latkes in the old country!
These latkes are not loaded with potato starch, flour, baking powder or other non-essential ingredients. My grandfather shared this recipe with me when I told him that I thought his were the crunchiest, lightest and most perfect potato latkes I’ve ever eaten.
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While I honor my grandfather’s legacy for these simple potato latkes, I know many want onions in their latkes, so feel free to add 1 grated onion to this and make your own legacy.
Servings
8 Servings
Ingredients
- 4 medium Idaho potatoes
- 6 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 eggs beaten
- 2 tablespoon matzoh meal
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- Applesauce or sour cream optional
Instructions
- Prepare a large bowl filled with cold water.
- Peel potatoes, and as you finish each, place in cold water to prevent browning.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Cut potatoes lengthwise into halves or quarters so they fit into food processor feed tube. Process potatoes using the blade that creates thin, shoestring-like strips and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add eggs, matzoh meal, salt and pepper and mix well.
- Drop 6 to 8 spoonfuls of mixture into hot oil. Using the back of a spoon, pat down each latke to flatten it. Put as many as you can in the skillet without crowding. Putting them too close together will make them soggy.
- Fry 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp around the edges; repeat procedure until finished with all the batter.
- Blot excess oil with paper towels.
- Serve warm with applesauce or sour cream, if desired.
Video
Notes
Cornmeal is a great substitute for matzoh meal and will also make your latkes nice and crispy.
My mother put the potatoes and everything else in a blender to make a batter and the latkes were more like pancakes. There were good, but I made the shredded potato method better and so did my kids and husband.
That is best practicies but it isn’t needed, Jamie doesn’t drain them and they still come out delicious.
The only difference between your latkes and your grandfather’s are the consistency of the potatoes. He probably grated them on a wire grater as my mother did. When you shred them, they have the consistency of hash browns. I make mine in the food processor as well but I use the chopping blade blade until they are chopped finely but before they turn into mush. You might find these closer to how his turned out.
Nily!!!! I am obsessed with that oil from the inside out tip — thank you for sharing! Sending you love and blessings for health, happiness, safety and security at this time and always. Good Shabbos, Good Yuntif and XO!
Jamie … Your Grandfather must have come from the same region of Europe as my Mother and Father, for this is akin to my own recipe (learned in my Mother’s kitchen). These days, to simplify the process, I use Simply Potatoes shredded hash browns, 1 egg per 20oz bag and I eyeball the matzo meal (an ability I acquired over 40 years of making Latkes). My Mother also taught me to add a modicum of the cooking oil to the potato mixture, to allow the Latkes to cook from the inside out. A practice I acquired over the years (from making Latkes for Pesach, too) is using peanut oil to cook them. Not a very heart-healthy option, I know, but a truly yummy result! Thank you for your “heymish” recipes … they invoke many nostalgic memories. I hope you and yours are staying safe and healthy … Chag Pesach Sameach!
Don’t you drain out the extra moisture? I put into a sieve and then let the moisture drip out (usually at least 3/4 cup of it! and then add back in
the potato starch accumulated on the bottom of the bowl
That is best practices but it is a step that can be skipped and the latkes will still be good.
That is how I’ve always done it also. And my husband squeezes the moisture out in a clean dish towel – I don’t like the wateryness that accumulates in the bowl
The print recipe is more up to date, you can use either 6 tablespoons or 1-inch, there should be leftover oil in the pan anyways.
Can you please clarify – 6 Tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil (Colavita) appears on the print recipe, but you use only 1 inch of CANOLA oil in the video – and this, in your pan, would be much more than 6 Tbsp, plus a different oil entirely.
Thanks,
Meri in Sedona
You can use frozen potatoes. Don’t thaw them and look for potatoes with zero additives. Enjoy!
I always make latkes with fresh potatoes but plan to make them with several classes at my school this year, and don’t want to use a mix like I’ve done with classes in the past. Can I use frozen shredded potatoes instead with this recipe? It would make prep way easier and I wouldn’t have to worry about potatoes browning. Thanks!
I large yellow onion would be perfect.
You do not have onions in the recipe but in the latke tips you mention using onions. How many onions would you use for this recipe and if using a processor would you use the same grating blade? Thanks so much
These were wonderful and easy to make! I added an onion, so it needed a bit more matazah meal. My Mom, who is an expert cook, commented on how tasty they were.
wow – now that is an awesome shortcut and great prep ahead tip for making 55 latkes!!!!! Thanks for sharing!
OY so sorry – don’t know what to say — I have been making this recipe for 10 years with great success…
i wanted to try & make latkes like my Bubbie used to make. I followed your recipe to the T. the mixture in the bowl was really watery, so I added more bread crumbs. added some baking powder too. Got the oil heated up, plunked in some mixture. waited, then tried to flip over. OMG what a disaster. it fell apart. I tried another one, it also fell apart. I tried to eat it anyways with some sugar on it (my mother was Romanisha) . it tasted ok. I threw the rest of the mixture in the garbage bin. Happy Chunnuka anyways.
I make latkes this way: I buy one box of Manischewitz Homestyle Potato Pancake Mix and 1 box regular Potato Pancake mix. Using a large mixing bowl I make the mixes together according to the directions on each box. I add about 1 teaspoon of onion salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper. I then add a very big handful of plain shredded potatoes from the refrigerator case, mixing all together. Fry in canola oil, using a metal soup spoon, on both sides and drain on clean brown grocery bags. I flash freeze them on a cookie sheet and reheat uncovered in the oven for just a few minutes at 375 degrees. Yields about 55 latkes. Yum Yum
In theory I guess so I am just not a fan of freezing latkes. If you would like to freeze them just be sure to reheat them uncovered in the oven.
cAN THESE E FROZEN?
everything can stay about the same if you the are really VERY large.
Hi Jamie –
I have 2 very large russet potatoes. Based on that quantity how does it change the measurements of the other ingredients?
Thanks
a few – http://www.joyofkosher.com/?s=zucchini%20latke&post_type=recipe&sort=d&sortcolumn=post_modified&pn=1&decideSort=1
Do you have a recipe for zucchini latkes?
Oh Judi how amazing!!! my grandmother a”h learned to drive at 63 so I always say it’s never too late!!! I just measured for you it’s about 1 3/4 lbs. Hope that helps. As for “dollop” can be any size you like I would say from 1 TBS or up to 1/4 cup. People even make jumbo potato pancakes — like one BIGGIE! per pan but it’s hard to flip that and get it to cook through before burning the outside. Let me know how you like these now that you have a weight measure.
I just made your potato latke recipe — the first time I’ve ever made potato latkes (now at age 73), but I think I may have misjudged a bit. In my town there are no medium size idahos; they’re either large or larger, so I used 3 large, but believe I had too much potato (even though they tasted good). Can you estimate the approx weight of the 4 potatoes you use and I will shop accordingly.
One other – what size spoon to use per dollop; (teaspoon, tablespoon etc.)
Thank you.
so sorry and thanks for the love. just do this same recipe as a puree. I do it both ways and it works great. let me know.
I totally love Jamie, but I have a Cuisinart. The only such blade makes julienne strips and I defy anyone to get them to cohese. What a disaster!