Key to crisp latkes
A trick that makes Jewish specialty more special./
The Hanukkah season is upon us, and whether or not you are of the Jewish faith, latkes — grated potato pancakes that are like fried nests of slivered, shaved potatoes — are something anyone can get behind. Latkes are perhaps the most emblematic of Hanukkah foods, right along with jelly doughnut-like sufganiyot and gelt, the gold foil-covered chocolate coins that appear in December, but their provenance has little to do with potatoes at all.
The first connection of a fried pancake and Hanukkah derives from Italian Jewish tradition and the book of Judith. This far predates the story of the Maccabee rededication of the temple after the Syrian desecration in 165 BCE, in which the meager amount of oil to light the temple is said to have lasted eight nights. Dairy foods were traditionally linked to Judith, a female heroine in the Jewish faith who fed salty cheese to an enemy king (to make him thirsty for wine, as a means of getting him drunk) before assassinating him in order to liberate her people. In Italy, that meant ricotta pancakes were made and served in remembrance around Hanukkah.
Cheese was the common base for early “latkes,” as potatoes did not become part of European gastronomical history until the 16th century when they were brought over from the Americas. From there, potatoes were sometimes hollowed out and filled with an oil and wick as a meager menorah to commemorate the Hanukkah story, but by the 1800s, shredding potatoes and onions and mixing them with an egg to fry in oil was a common recipe that we still covet today.
With the history of a latke to guide you, making latkes at home is a simple endeavor with basic ingredients that can create a predinner snack, a potato-based supper or a breakfast in lieu of hash browns and home fries. The trick to getting the crispiest latke lies in a trick that seems antithetical to how most fried food science works: water. Or more specifically, ice. Potatoes can be shredded with a box grater or food processor fitted with the grating blade, then placed in a bowl with an inch of water in the bottom, a
few pinches of salt and covered with ice. What happens in this process is that the water and starch inside of a good frying potato (think Yukon Golds or Russets) slowly gets pulled from the shredded potato and settles into the bottom of the bowl. Salt helps break down the cells of the potato and release water and starch, and the addition of ice and water slowly rinses the potato of these elements. The ice keeps the potatoes cold so they do not wilt and slows oxidation.
After about 30 minutes of soaking, a milky layer of starch will appear in the bottom of the bowl. That is the potato starch, which can be reincorporated into the latke batter. While it seems redundant to remove the starch, then add it back in, the process helps to eliminate water (less water means a crisper latke) but allows retention of the starch, which coats the shredded potatoes and also helps to create more crunch and keep the batter tight and uniform as it fries. Think of it like the glue for your potatoes.
Latkes are not meant to be deep fried, like a French fry. Instead, a small amount of oil produces amazing results (much like the oil in the Hanukkah story) and keeps the center cooked but creamy while the exterior or your latkes become crackling. A heavy-bottom skillet works best for making latkes and no thermometer for oil temperature is needed as long as you listen for a constant, subtle sizzle and watch to make sure the latkes do not brown too quickly. Latkes should take between eight and 10 minutes to fry per batch.
Latkes can also be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen, if needed. Simply place on a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and reheat at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for seven to 10 minutes or until warmed through and crunchy on the outside, or place in an air fryer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for three minutes (refrigerated) or five minutes (frozen).
Instead of cheese, we commonly serve latkes with sour cream. Applesauce is another common topper. But a latke is simply a base, and how you dress it is limitless in potential. Smoked fish, dill and capers is one option. Chili crisp and thinly-sliced scallions is another. For a bit of sweetness, try pomegranate molasses, or for zing, go for horseradish-intense mustard. Anyway you serve it, a latke is a story in a single bite and worth incorporating into your own personal culinary legacy each winter.