Crispy Potato Latkes
November 29, 2020 | By Jeremy Scheck | 13 Comments
Video Tutorial
Crispy Potato Latkes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice (for the ice water in step #1)
- 2 lbs russet potatoes (about 3 large potatoes or 4 cups when grated)
- 2 thinly sliced shallots (onion is fine too)
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup matzo meal (can substitute crushed up ritz crackers or saltines)
- Large pinch of salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Small pinch garlic powder
- Oil for frying such as peanut or canola (enough to have about 1/2 inch around your pan)
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with ice water and add a tablespoon of vinegar (I use apple cider) or a squeeze of lemon juice. Set a smaller colander or sieve inside.
- Clean your potatoes (I scrub them but do not peel), and grate them using a food processor or box grater (large holes). As you grate the potatoes, add them into the colander set inside the ice water to keep them from discoloring. (The vinegar/lemon juice prevents oxidation).
- Once you are done grating all the potatoes, strain them well from the ice water mixture. You should have about 4 cups of shredded potatoes. Use a dish towel or cheese cloth to wring out all the ridisual water and discard the liquid.
- Start heating up a skillet with frying oil over medium-low heat.
- Put the shredded, wrung out potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Add the shallots, cornstarch, eggs and matzo meal. Mix well with your hands.
- When the oil is hot enough to fry (check by placing the end of a wooden spoon in the oil; if there are bubbles around it, it's hot), season the mixture with salt, pepper and garlic powder, and mix again with your hands.
- Working in batches (to not overcrowd the pan), use a 1/3 cup measure to portion out the latkes into the oil and press them down with a spatula to flatten. Cook 3-6 minutes, or until they are deeply golden-brown.
- Remove from the oil when they are golden brown, and season lightly again with some salt right when they come out of the oil so it sticks.
- Top with fresh dill, if desired, and serve with apple sauce (or sour cream but I don't approve).
Notes
If you need to make them a bit in advance, you can warm them in a 200° F oven as you cook them or hours later.
Jeremy Scheck spent high school perfecting his signature cupcakes, making quiches and coffee cake by the dozen at a local bakery, and teaching cooking demonstrations at Williams-Sonoma. As a 10th grader in 2016, he began documenting his favorite recipes on a blog called The After School Bakery. In college, Jeremy learned to make 50 gallons of ice cream in the food science lab, how to prune grape vines in the teaching vineyard, the best way to milk a cow in Northern Italy, and why film photography is an art worth saving. As a sophomore in 2020, he traded blog photos for video and became a TikTok culinary sensation. Jeremy has been featured on the Today show, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, BBC Radio, People, and Access Hollywood, among others. Jeremy is a graduate of Cornell University with a double major in Spanish and Italian, and significant coursework in food science. He lives in Brooklyn, NY. Learn more about Jeremy.
Scrumdidlyumtious. But how many servings does it make
This made about 14 latkes
Yuk on the apple sauce but gonna try this recipe with the far superior sour cream.
This recipe sound good and I will definitely try it! Apple sauce and sour cream is a must with potato latkes
This recipe is as so good and easy to follow! Matzo meal is hard to find so I liked the optional substitutes- I’ve made latkes before but never this crispy! 11/10 would recommend
Super easy to follow and very crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. Thanks so much for the tip on keeping them warm in a 200 degree oven, it was perfect!
This was the first time I have ever made latkes and they turned out amazing! Perfectly crispy and delicious, especially with that salt sprinkled on top.
Made this last night and absolutely fell in love with the flavors! 100% will make it again!
I liked these a lat-kes
Best recipe! Made them with a Jewish friend during Hannukah and I think it’s her new go-to latke recipe. So crispy and delicious!
Would yellow onions drastically change the flavoring compared to shallots? Which do you recommend for my Hanukkah party?
That would be fine!
Made these for Hanukkah! My boyfriend said these are just like his Bubie’s