The Crispiest Potato Latkes

Do you wanna learn how to make the crispest potato latkes you've ever tasted? Keep reading! We have some great tips, including some from one of the best chefs in the Philadelphia area!

Growing up in a Jewish household, we learned at a young age how to make the crispiest potato latkes. We're here to share our years of knowledge with you, along with some great tips.

What Are Potato Latkes?

Potato latkes are potato pancakes made with different combinations of potatoes, onion, matzo meal, flour, salt, and pepper. They are usually eaten on the Jewish Holiday of Hanukkah or Chanukah (either spelling works). Chanukah is a Jewish holiday with deep spiritual meaning, but we will not get into that right now. If you were in first grade in Hebrew School or a Jewish school they will explain to you that Chanukah celebrates the miracle of the oil. The second temple in Jerusalem was vandalized by the Greeks, and after a fierce battle, the Jewish people regained control of the sacred temple. The Menorah lights at the temple were lit with olive oil and only a small bottle was found. The oil was only supposed to last one day and instead, it lasted 8 days. That is the Hanukkah miracle. That's why we eat fried foods and foods made with olive oil.

How to make the crispiest potato latkes

1. Choose the right type of potato

• Use a starchy potato-like the russets variety, instead of red or yellow potatoes. If you want crunch, potato starch is your friend!
• Make sure to weigh the potatoes, so you're measurements are accurate. If you don't own a scale, weigh them at the market and place each pound in a separate bag.

2. Prepare your working station

• Prepare a bowl of cold or ice water to place the peeled potatoes, so they don't turn color. Chef Yahuda Sichel, former chef of Abe Fisher in Philadelphia, and now the owner of Huda in Philadelphia recommends shredding them when the rest of the ingredients are ready and the oil is heating up. This will keep the potatoes from oxidizing.
• Shape all the potato latkes at once, so they're ready to be fried. This way they will all cook at the same time.

Tips on how to fry potato latkes

• Chef Sichel also recommends not squeezing the water out of the shredded potatoes. The starchy water makes the latkes really crispy!
• Use a cast-iron skillet if you have one. If not, don't worry! Any other skillet will work.
• Don't crowd the pan. 4 potato latkes for a  7" skillet is a good amount. Fry in small batches.
• We don't recall exactly which blogger, mentioned it, but there is a cool tip to keep the frying oil cleaner: simply place a piece of carrot or a baby carrot in the oil while frying the latkes. That's it!
• Use a high smoking point oil, the ideal oil to use is peanut oil, you can also use canola oil.
• For the recipe we are sharing today, we followed Chef Sichel's advice on cooking the potato latkes for 10 minutes per side. We fried them on medium heat. Because all stoves a different, make sure to test the temperature of the oil before frying. A good way to do it is to drop a small amount of latke mixture in the hot oil and cook it for 10 minutes per side. If it turns golden brown without burning, you have the right temperature. Another trick is to place the tip of the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil. If small bubbles form slowly around it the oil is ready for frying, if the bubbles rise to the surface quickly the oil is too hot, lower the temperature.
• While testing this recipe, we noticed that spiralized potatoes make for even crispier latkes. Alternatively, you can shred or grate them using a box grater or a food processor.  Potato latkes made with shredded potatoes will need to be cooked in less time, just test one.
• Keep the potato latkes warm and crispy by placing them on a baking sheet in a 250F oven.

Spiralize the potatoes for crispier potato latkes

Ingredients for potato latkes (regular and vegan options)

Here's the ratio we used for our potato latkes: (see full recipe below)

• 1 pound of potatoes
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

For our vegan version:

• 1 pound of potatoes
• ¼ cup vegan mayo
• 2  tbsp flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

To read more about Chef Yehuda Sichel's tips, check out this great article in Food & Wine magazine.

What do you eat with potato latkes?

Traditionally potato latkes are eaten with:

• Applesauce
• Horseradish
• Sour Cream

If you like latkes, give these other latke recipes a try, too!

• Asian Inspired butternut squash latkes
• Vegan potato latkes
• Carrot and parsnip latkes
• Potato and apple latkes with Tahini and Silan

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