Perfecting Potato Latkes - Tip of the Day

by Alanna Kaufman, Posted Dec 19th 2008 @ 10:04AM

Sick of soggy latkes? Hanukkah's only a few days away, but there's plenty of time to perfect the art of frying potato pancakes...

Here are some tips for concocting the perfect batch:

1. Immediately put grated potatoes into the ice water until you are ready to cook them, then drain them twice with a towel-lined strainer so about 15 minutes each time. Then, incorporate the leftover potato starch from the ice water bowel back into the potato mixture later on.

2. When you cook the latkes, however, make sure that the batter is room temperature

3. Grate potatoes in the food processor with a grating blade for a denser, smaller latke. Grate by hand for longer shreds.

4. For healthier latkes, don't fry your pancakes until they are fully cooked -- just give them a quick fry on both sides, then bake them in the oven until they are fully cooked and crispy.

5. Clean the pan between batches by scraping out leftover potato scraps between batches.

6. Flatten latkes gently in the pan so that they cook faster.

7. Spice up your condiments by using a non traditional cranberry applesauce, or another fruit-based apple sauce.

Filed Under: Tip of the Day, Holidays
Tags: chanukah, hanukkah, latkes, tip of the day, TipOfTheDay, winter