Traditional latke accompaniments are applesauce and sour cream. But why not broaden your horizons? As potato pancakes, latkes lend themselves to both savory and sweet toppings. It’s fun to layer toppings too, such as lox, dill, red onion and more:
• Traditional Potato Latkes (recipe below)
• Sour cream or crème fraîche
• Lox
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• Fresh dill
• Applesauce
• Beet hummus
• Red onion slices
• Lemon slices
• Cucumber slices
• Capers
• Spicy ketchup
If you’ve never made latkes, the first thing you should know is that making them is a labor of love. While it’s not complicated, there’s a lot of hands-on work to make a delicious, crispy potato pancake. But they’re SO worth it! My mom was big on hand-grating the potatoes and the onion. Sure, you could put them in a food processor — but when you do, the texture isn’t the same and they tend to become dense when cooked, not light and crisp.
Notes:
- If you have sensitive eyes when you’re chopping onions, place the onion in the refrigerator or freezer for 15-20 minutes before handling.
- The latkes can be made a few hours in advance and reheated in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.
Reprinted with permission from “Everyday Snack Tray: Easy Ideas and Recipes for Boards That Nourish for Moments Big and Small,” by Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN. Published by Revell (November 28 2023).
Traditional Potato Latkes Recipe
Traditional latke accompaniments are applesauce and sour cream. But why not broaden your horizons?
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 8 latkes
Ingredients
- 1 lb Idaho potatoes, peeled
- ½ yellow onion
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Using a box grater, coarsely grate the potatoes into a large bowl.
- Transfer the shredded potatoes into a fine-mesh sieve, place the sieve over a bowl, and press the potatoes with a wooden spoon, squeezing the excess water into the bowl. Discard the liquid and transfer the potatoes back to the original bowl.
- Using a separate bowl, grate the onion and squeeze out the excess water like you did with the potatoes, then transfer the onions to the bowl with the potatoes. Add the egg, salt and pepper, and combine.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat until the oil is shimmering. Place a piece of grated potato in the pan. If it sizzles, you’re ready to fry! Working in batches, add the potato mixture ¼ cup at a time to the pan, squeezing out any remaining liquid first. Flatten the tops of the latkes slightly with a spatula. Reduce heat to medium and cook about 5 minutes, until latkes are golden. Flip, and cook an additional 4 minutes.
- Drain the latkes on a paper-towel-lined plate. Arrange on a tray with accompaniments and serve.
Notes
- If you have sensitive eyes when you’re chopping onions, place the onion in the refrigerator or freezer for 15-20 minutes before handling.
- The latkes can be made a few hours in advance and reheated in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-20 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Holiday
Nice recipe!
This is delicious.
We’re glad that you enjoyed it!