Hanukkah 2008: Easy Potato Latkes

I was lucky growing up – Christmas and Hanukkah were both a major part of my annual December festivities. When my french fry loving husband and I got married, I made it my mission to teach him how to make a potato recipe he’d never tried before. Potato latkes – a quintessential Hanukkah recipe, and delicious fried potato classic.

The ingredients are simple. The necessary steps, straightforward. Here’s what you need for the perfect potato latkes.

Hanukkah Potato Latkes For Two

1 lb baking potatoes
1/2 onion, chopped
1 large egg (lightly beaten)
Salt
1/3 cup olive oil

Peel and grate the potatoes. The potatoes must be soaked in cold water for five minutes or so to remove the starch (otherwise they’ll become soggy)  – transfer them to a colander and drain well. Then wrap the potatoes in paper towels and squeeze them over the sink to remove any additional excess water.

Stir the egg, onion and potato together – add the salt. Heat up the oil in the frying pan and add 1/4 cup size servings of the mixture, flatting them out slightly. Lower the heat (for even cooking) and cook until both sides of the latke are brown but not burned. As you cook each small batch, keep them warmed up in the oven or the microwave.

Serve with a dollup of sour cream or apple sauce and enjoy!

Image: kthread