Potato Latkes

Method

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1. Grate the potatoes and onion on the coarse side of a box grater, alternating between them so the onion juice coats the potato as you go.

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2. Pile everything into a clean tea towel, gather it up, and wring it hard over a bowl. Keep going until nothing more comes out.

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3. Leave the liquid in the bowl to stand for 3 minutes, then pour the water off carefully — a thick white paste of potato starch will be stuck to the bottom.

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4. Scrape that starch back in with the wrung potato and onion, then mix in the eggs, flour, salt, pepper and baking powder.

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5. Heat 5 mm of oil in a heavy frying pan to 180°C / 355°F — a shred of potato should sizzle immediately.

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6. Drop in heaped tablespoons of mixture and flatten each one to about 8 cm across with the back of the spoon, leaving the edges ragged.

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7. Fry 3 to 4 minutes a side, in batches of four, until deep golden and lacy at the rim.

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8. Drain on a rack rather than kitchen paper — paper steams the underside — and salt at once.

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9. Serve immediately with apple sauce and soured cream.

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Chef’s Tips

• The settled starch is the trick. Everyone throws that liquid away and then wonders why their latkes fall apart.
• A rack, not kitchen paper. This applies to everything fried.
• They hold for 20 minutes in a 140°C oven on a rack, which is long enough to fry the rest.

Pairing Suggestions

• Apple sauce and soured cream
• Smoked salmon
• Cold beer

Storage & Reheating

Best immediately. Refrigerated for 2 days; re-crisp 8 minutes at 200°C. They freeze cooked for 2 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.