Not everybody is decking the halls and sipping eggnog at this time of year. Others are trying to figure out how many potatoes it takes to make a perfect latke, also known as potato pancake! It may seem simple to create the Hanukkah delight, but, as always, there are a few hacks to make them shine.
Pick the Right Potato
They may look alike, but not all potatoes are made equally. For crispy latkes, starchy potatoes are better. Go for russet and you won’t be sorry.
Crispy is King
Starch really is the key to keeping latkes on the crispy side. Place the potatoes in a bowl of water for around 10 minutes and then squeeze out the excess liquid. The white residue that remains is the starch. Add it to the now dry potatoes, or use boxed potato starch.
Crowd Control
You don’t want to fry too many latkes in the pan at once as this will drop the temperature of the oil, leaving your latkes soggy. Once they’re done frying, remove the latkes from the oil, let them drain on a cooling rack, and top immediately with sea salt.
