Tag: potato latkes

Lacy Latkes Tips & Tricks!

I’ll admit that I’m the first one to trash up latkes and have fun with them, but really, nothing competes with the classic perfect latke – if you get them right! There’s an art to the perfect potato latke, and I like to call them LACY LATKES for the shards of potato that crunch up between your teeth like crispy potato sticks! So how do you make these little bites of heaven? Read on!

• Use russet potatoes, they’re perfectly starchy!
• Place your potatoes in water until ready to grate so they don’t brown.
• Prep all your ingredients so that you can work fast!
• Alternate your potato and onion when you grate them, it keeps the mixture white!
• Grate your potatoes from top to bottom (or sideways in the food processor) for longer strands of potato = lacy edges!
• Squeeze your potato/onion mixture as dry as you can! Squeeze into a bowl so you can reserve the starch.
• Once the starch settles to the bottom of the bowl, discard the remaining liquid, and add the starch back in to the latke mixture for extra crispiness!
• Use a heavy bottomed skillet or cast iron pan.
• Add a carrot to your oil, it will keep it clean!
• Use plenty of oil, and get it nice and hot before adding the batter.
• Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop out the batter and flatten it out with the bottom of the measuring cup, so the edges spread out.
• Don’t overcrowd your pan, give the latkes plenty of room so they don’t steam.
• Leave the latkes alone! Don’t touch and let them develop a good crust! Flip and give the other side some time too!
• If the latke mixture starts to get soggy, give it a squeeze before adding it to the pan.
• Place the latkes on a rack set over a baking sheet to keep them crispy.

So you’ve made the perfect latke, now how do you top them? I put a Questions box on Instagram and here are some of the fun toppings that came in!

Sweet Chili Sauce
Sugar! (who knew?!)
Applesauce MIXED with sour cream!
Sour cream mixed with horseradish
Ketchup (!!!!!)
Tuna & melted cheese a la tuna melt!
Spicy tuna and spicy mayo
Truffle aioli
Sour Cream, pickled onions, capers
Poached egg (yes please!)
Cheddar cheese sauce
Beef fry and coleslaw
Labneh with garlic, dried mint, olive oil, Aleppo pepper
Garlic Mayo and shredded BBQ chicken or pulled beef
Cranberry Sauce
Greek Yogurt, Lox, Dill
Pastrami and sautéed onion
Sriracha
Guacamole
Tzatziki
Ranch Dip
Caviar and creme fraiche

Other Latke Recipes:

crispy rice latkes
salami potato latkes
sabich latkes
falatkes (falafel latkes)
poutine latkes
confetti latkes
butternut squash latkes
cheese latkes

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Potato Latke Funnel Cakes

Yay!!!!! Chanukah, the festival of donuts, potato latkes and all things fried is upon us, and I couldn’t be happier!! I was lucky enough to be born on the festival of fattening foods…uh…I mean….lights, so all the more reason to allow myself to really s.p.l.u.r.g.e.

I even got married on my birthday so between my anniversary, my birthday, and the holiday, it’s an eight day food fest with no restrictions. I’m not a big fryer during the year so when Chanukah comes around, I break out the gallon-sized canola oil and get to it.

I love all the donut making and latke topping, but I especially love to make other fun fried food that I don’t get around to enjoying otherwise. Like fried oreos, fried ice cream and funnel cakes! I also go savory with fried lasagna stripszucchini chips and even beer battered salami! When I said I go all out, I meant it! (just ask my scale after the eight days are up!)

I’ve had some really fun latke ideas over the past few years, including my poutine latkes that landed me on the front page of The Wall Street Journal and my viral falafel latkes which turned into the ultimate sabich. I had to up the ante this year, and and what better way than fusing two of my favorite Chanukah indulgences – latkes and funnel cakes!

If you’ve never had a funnel cake, I’m sorry. It’s basically a thick pancake dough that’s piped into hot oil for a crispy sweet fried dough that gets covered in powdered sugar. It’s. so. good. I decided to go savory with the same concept by incorporating mashed potatoes and ranch seasoning into the dough. It was a really good idea. Just try it and you’ll see!

The potato dough takes a little getting used to, so I suggest practicing with a few mini cakes at first. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll be banging out potato latke funnel cakes like no-ones business! Just try not to eat the whole batch before your company arrives. They’re especially good straight out of the fryer!

This recipe was actually my first time working with ranch seasoning and I am hooked! Where has this addictive stuff been my entire life? Potatoes and ranch make such a perfect pairing, I can’t believe I’ve been eating chips without it until now.

If you can’t get your hands on one of these packets, just season up your potatoes to taste with the spices of your choice. My Greek yogurt ranch dip can give you some ideas!

I’m working on some other fun Chanukah recipes including a donut that you can drink (you’ll see!) and a super addictive twist on pb&j. Chanukah here we come!

What are your favorite deep fried foods to make for the holiday? I’d love to hear! Share them with me in the comments below.

In the meantime, get your stretchy skirts ready and stack up on that canola oil. You’re gonna need it!

Oh, and do yourself a favor and set your scale back 5 lbs, will you?


This post was sponsored by Lipton Kosher. All opinions are my own. 

Related Recipes:

sabich latkes
falafel latkes
poutine latkes
confetti latkes
butternut squash latkes

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