COOK: Latkes - The Classic Version

Start Cooking with Annabel Cohen

Ingredients:

2 pounds Idaho or russet potatoes, peeled or not

1 cup chopped yellow onions

2 eggs

3 Tbsp. flour (more if needed)

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable oil for frying

Make Latkes:

Coarsely grate potatoes by hand (with a box grater) or in the food processor and let them sit until they turn reddish-brown, about half and hour. Drain the potatoes in a colander and rinse well with cold water until the potatoes are white again. If the strands of potato are too long (as sometimes happens with a food processor), chop them slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onions, eggs, flour, salt and pepper. Mix and let stand for 10 minutes before frying.

In a large skillet, heat 1/8-inch of oil until very hot but not smoking. Make a test pancake by dropping a heaping tablespoon of the potato mixture into the skillet. Using a spoon or spatula, form the mixture into a circle shape. Don’t worry if your pancake is not a perfect circle. Cook 3 minutes or so on each side until the pancakes are golden and cooked through. NOTE: As latke batter sits, it becomes more “watery.” Stir each time before you use the batter.

Drain the latke well on paper towels or on flattened, paper grocery bags placed over baking sheets. Taste for seasoning, adjust salt and pepper and make the latkes until the potato mixture is gone. If you must add more oil, do it when the skillet it empty, never pour new oil onto cooking latkes, it makes them greasy. Serve with lots of applesauce or sour cream. Makes 8 servings.