How to Cook Latkes

The custom of eating foods fried in oil commemorates the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days in the Temple's candelabra.

Every Jewish holiday seems to have a food associated with it, and Hanukkah is no exception. To commemorate the miracle of the oil burning for eight days in the Temple's candelabra, many Jews eat foods fried in oil on Hanukkah. The most famous of these foods are latkes, deep-fried potato pancakes. Although these treats are high in fat, you can use some of the variations listed in order to increase their health value.

Things You'll Need

• Knife
• 1 onion
• Food processor
• 5 potatoes
• Peeler
• Large bowl
• Paper towels
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. salt
• Dash of pepper
• Large spoon
• Frying pan and stove (or griddle)
• Spatula
• Bottle of oil

Instructions

1. Peel the onion and shred or grate it in the food processor. (You can also complete this step by hand.)

2. Peel the potatoes and shred or grate them in the food processor. You may need to cut them into smaller chunks so they will fit into the processor.

3. Empty the contents of the food processor into a large bowl and carefully drain out as much liquid as possible. Then press paper towels into the mixture to drain out even more liquid.

4. Crack the egg and mix it into the latke batter. Add the salt and pepper and mix well.

5. Prepare a pile of several paper towels on a flat surface near the frying area.

6. Heat up about a cup of oil on the griddle or frying pan over a high flame. The surface should be hot enough that a drop of water sprinkled on it immediately begins to sizzle.

7. Drop spoonfuls of latke batter onto the frying pan or griddle, making sure they do not run into each other. Leave them there for at least a minute before checking on them.

8. Check on the latkes by carefully lifting up one side of them with the tip of a spatula and peeking underneath. If the bottom is dark brown, flip the latke over and flatten it with the bottom of the spatula.

9. Fry until both sides of the latkes are dark brown and the edges are crispy. Then use a spatula to remove the latkes from the pan and place them on the paper towel layers. Layer two more paper towels on top and press down gently to squeeze out the excess oil.

Tips & Warnings

• To make latkes in a more "old fashioned" way, grate them by hand, using the small holes on a hand grater.

• You can reheat cold latkes by placing them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and baking them in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about ten minutes.

• Serve these Jewish Hanukkah treats hot with apple sauce or sour cream.

• You can add a small grated zucchinni or use olive oil instead of vegetable oil to make your latkes slightly healthier. Alternatively, you can bake the latkes with a small amount of oil on a cookie sheet rather than frying them.

• The heated oil will be extremely hot and can burn. Keep your face away when you spoon the batter onto the hot surface to avoid oil splashing on your face.

• Allow latkes to cool slightly before tasting them.

References

• Allrecipes: Making Latkes