Potato Latkes

Happy Chanukah to those who celebrate it! I know it begins tomorrow, so I wanted to share a traditional recipe with you all. My family is Catholic, but some of our best friends growing up were Jewish. We would go over their house at the beginning of Chanukah to celebrate with them and it was a great celebration. I love seeing how other people celebrate different holidays and it's something I'll never forget.

Another thing I'll never forget is the food. They would serve us Matzo Ball Soup and potato latkes, which are two of the most delicious things in my opinion. I love the crispiness of the potatoes and the subtle flavor of onions in the latkes. Many people serve these with sour cream or applesauce, but I love them plain. Enjoy and Happy Chanukah!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb. russet potatoes, peeled
• 1 small onion, grated
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp. flour (or more) or matzo meal (during Passover)
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil for frying

In a food processor grate the potatoes. Line a sieve with cheesecloth and transfer potatoes to the sieve. Set sieve over a bowl, twist cheesecloth into a pouch, squeezing out some moisture. Let mixture drain for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour off liquid from the bowl and replace the potatoes.

To the potatoes, add onions, eggs, flour, salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss to combine.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking pan with paper towels. When you are ready to eat, in a large skillet heat a few tablespoons of oil over medium high heat until hot. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of potato mixture and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side; latkes should be golden and crisp on both sides. Eat right away or keep warm in oven. Serve with applesauce or sour cream.

Source: Adapted from Food Network