Essie’s Latkes, by NC Weil
I’m not Jewish, but my husband is. We belong to a Reform temple here in Denver. Temple Micah appeals to me because as a teen I watched my parents and a handful of other families form a Presbyterian church in Boulder, oriented not toward its own edifice but toward doing good works in the world. United Presbyterian Church of the Apostles didn’t have a building—we rented space for services. Temple Micah likewise rents space. I feel right at home.
Here’s my husband’s Grandma Essie’s latke recipe, written on the back of an envelope, grease-spotted and crusty as only the best can be.
For a family Hanukkah gathering, this quantity will work:
Ingredients list:
(Makes about 2 dozen latkes)
4 med-large potatoes (I like a blend: Yukon golds, red potatoes, maybe a russet though they tend to have tougher skin. Purple potatoes (a Japanese variety, purple all the way through) are also fun)—Don’t peel them!!
½ med onion (I prefer yellow onions, but use what you like!)
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. matzo meal (substitute 2 T tapioca flour for gluten-free latkes)
4 eggs
¼ tsp. powdered ginger
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. salt
Cooking oil – I use canola or safflower oil, which are neutral in flavor
Sour cream
Applesauce
Equipment:
Small mixing bowl
Med-large mixing bowl
Grater
Skillets (I use cast iron because they hold heat consistently. If you take care of them they’ll last centuries. Most of mine were my grandmothers’, and now I’m a grandma)
Lids that more-or-less fit the skillets
A pan or two to keep the cooked latkes warm
The mix:
Grate the potatoes using the standard side of your grater—too fine, and they’ll turn to mush. Squeeze out handfuls over a small bowl (raw potatoes have a lot of liquid which will make your latkes watery. Really squeeze them!), then set them in the med-large mixing bowl. Grate the onion on top. Mince the garlic and add that.
In the small bowl, allow the liquid time to separate. The murky puddle will soon be clear, with a white solid layer beneath. Carefully pour off or discard the clear liquid. What’s left is the potato starch, which will help hold your latkes together.
In that small bowl add four eggs, beat them well, 2 Tbsp. of matzo meal or substitute, blend in ¼ tsp. ground ginger, ½ tsp. of freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp. salt.
Once that’s well-blended, pour it into the bowl of potato, onion and garlic, stirring thoroughly. A dinner fork is a great tool for mixing all those grated things.
Cooking:
Heat two large 12” skillets. Start with med-high heat, then when they’re hot, turn the heat down to where they don’t smoke. Add a sheen of oil to each skillet, then make 3 latkes per skillet, about 4” in diameter. Spread the mix so each latke is no more than 3/8” thick, and put the lid on loosely so they will steam a bit to cook the potatoes better. Flip them after they’ve developed a nice golden-brown skin on the bottom, mashing them with your spatula. Stir the uncooked bowlful. No matter how much you squeeze the grated potatoes, they will still weep, so stirring the mix regularly will keep the liquid distributed.
Think they’re done? Test one. Are they cooked through? If not, flip them again and give them a little longer. If they’re too thick they will take longer to cook but still be underdone in the middle. Raw potatoes are hard to digest.
Keep the cooked ones warm in a 250-degree oven, on cookie sheets or pizza pans so they don’t sweat.
A note about oil:
Many cooks say that making latkes stinks up their kitchen because of the oil. The less you use, the less that’s a problem. With cast iron skillets, keeping the heat at the low end, you might need to replenish after four batches. Or not. I’ve cooked six dozen latkes with maybe 2 tablespoons of oil.
Serving:
Traditional latke toppings are sour cream and/or applesauce.
You can jazz up the sour cream by adding finely chopped chives, lime zest and chili powder, ginger and lime or red onion and dill. The possibilities are endless!
I make unsweetened applesauce with just apples with enough water to cook them.
