1 large or 2 medium onions
2¼ lbs yellow potatoes
¼ cup potato starch
2 eggs
cheesecloth
oil for frying
sour cream
Dice or mince
- 1 large or 2 medium onions
to produce about 2 cups of onions. I prefer diced pieces but you can cut as finely as you like.
Scrub but don’t bother peeling
- 2¼ lbs yellow potatoes
Using a food processor shredding disc (largest shreds), shred the potatoes. Wrap them in cheesecloth and tightly wring out the liquid into a large bowl. You can use the handle of a wooden spoon to really get pressure on the cheesecloth. After you’ve squeezed them like crazy, wait 5 minutes to let the liquid in the bowl settle; pour off the liquid reserving the starch. Add
- 2 eggs
- 1 TBL salt
- 3-4 TBL potato starch
Beat the eggs thoroughly, making sure the starch is smoothly dissolved. Add the shredded potatoes and the chopped onions.
In a 12-inch skillet or electric frying pan, pour about ½-inch of oil and heat to around 350º F. Fry the latkes, 3 or 4 at a time, making 4-inch latkes that are about 1 inch thick at the center; the edges will be a bit thinner, letting the edges get nice and crisp. Whatever you do, don’t crowd the pan!
As the latkes cook, you may need to rotate them (especially in a frying pan on a burner). When it’s time to flip them, lift, wait for the oil to drain from the bottom, and then turn carefully to avoid splashing.
Serve with sour cream. Banish anyone who wants to put apple sauce on them!
Adapted from a recipe from Serious Eats.