How to Make Latkes (with Do-Ahead Tips) (2024)

FAQs

How to Make Latkes (with Do-Ahead Tips)? ›

Or, you can grate the potatoes hours ahead and store them submerged in water in the refrigerator. Drain them well and make the batter up to two hours ahead. (It doesn't matter if it discolors– when you fry them the latkes turn a beautiful golden brown). Fry the latkes no more than an hour or two ahead of serving.

You might try an experiment for keeping the latkes crisp, cook off ahead of time, place covered in layers on paper towels and refrigerate or chill. Then two hours later, transfer to a sheet pan in the oven at 300-325 degrees and warm. Should stay crispy this way.

Use russet potatoes, they're perfectly starchy! Place your potatoes in water until ready to grate so they don't brown. Prep all your ingredients so that you can work fast! Alternate your potato and onion when you grate them, it keeps the mixture white!

Vegetable oil or canola oil is usually best, because of its high smoking point. Latkes were traditionally made with schmaltz, or chicken fat, so if you have access to it, you should certainly add it in, because it does contribute to the flavor.

Luckily, the fix for both of these problems is the same: add some more starch — ideally in the form of matzo meal — which will soak up that extra moisture and bind the ingredients together more tightly. Flour works too, but it sticks together and makes for denser latkes.

As you slice, place the potatoes into the container with water. Once all of the potatoes are peeled and sliced, fill the rest of the container with water so the potatoes are completely submerged. Place the lid onto the container, making sure it's airtight. Store the potatoes in the refrigerator.

You can make the batter in advance, or make the pancakes ahead of time and freeze them. They reheat perfectly, and super quickly, making them the perfect weekday breakfast.

Pre-Mix: Prep latke batter and keep in a sealable container in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. 4. Pre-Fry: Day of: Fry and keep at room temp.

To keep a consistent deep golden brown on all the latkes while cooking, adjust the heat to maintain the oil temperature and avoid the latkes browning too quickly. After frying, place latkes on a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack and transfer to a 200°F oven to keep warm until ready to serve.

When you grate raw potatoes, you release starch that can cause them to oxidize, or turn dark. The best way to keep that from happening is to cover the potatoes with cold water, then drain them very well and pat them dry before cooking.

Is applesauce or sour cream better for latkes? ›

Tart and fruity applesauce—unsweetened is best—cuts through the grease and lightens them right up, leaving you feeling perfectly satisfied, but not stuffed. Sure, sour cream is tart too, but since it's dairy, it can weigh down the latkes—adding unwanted heft to an already filling meal.

Potato pancakes have a creamy, almost mashed-potato-like center, with a thin, golden, crisp exterior. Latkes, on the other hand, should have a deeply browned crust, with wispy, lacy edges. Latkes also aren't hash browns.

Russet potatoes: Russet potatoes, or baking potatoes, are high in starch and have a dry, mealy texture. This type of potato is best for latkes because the dryness of the potato is partially responsible for that desirable, crispy texture. Yellow onion: Yellow onion adds a savory flavor to the latkes.

Trying to cook too many at one time crowds the pan and makes the temperature of the oil drop, which will result in soggy latkes. Flip them when you see the bottom turning golden brown around the edges. Give them adequate time to brown– the less you flip latkes the better.

Latkes have a few more ingredients than hash browns

"Potato pancakes have a bit of egg and matzo meal added to give them a little more heft," the user wrote. "I like to shred my potatoes and onions coarsely and squeeze out all their excess liquid ... lots of salt and pepper, and fry in plenty of oil."

You want enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan that it comes up about halfway the height of the latke. This ensure even cooking and less greasy pancakes. You'll likely need to add additional oil to the pan between batches when you're about halfway through.

Cutting sweet potatoes in advance is a great way to meal-prep your way to an easier weeknight dinner, but raw sweet potatoes dry out pretty quickly after they're cut. When chopping sweet potatoes in advance, make sure to store them in cold water in the refrigerator.

Peeled potatoes left out by themselves at room temperature, on a refrigerator shelf or wrapped in foil or plastic wrap will still get dark overnight, so submerge them in a bowl of water, cover and refrigerate. Cubed peeled potatoes can sit in water overnight, but they need to be refrigerated.

When ready to reheat, place in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes (7 if using a convection oven) until heated through just prior to serving. A convection oven setting will produce a more crispy result.