When I was growing up, my father had two specialties in the kitchen (the only things he cooked, really): Eggs Benedict and potato pancakes. Much later, I figured out that potato pancakes = latkes. We always ate them with maple syrup, sour cream, and applesauce, which isn’t very traditional, but maple syrup is insanely good.
My sophomore year of college, my dorm held a latke cookoff, which I didn’t enter but did attend. There were a variety of latkes, from the traditional potato-and-onion to chili, but nothing I’ve had has ever quite measured up to the ones my dad made–a modification of the recipe from Joy of Cooking.
The measurements are all approximate. A food processor is your friend for the onion.
Potato Pancakes (Latkes)
2 c. grated raw potato
1/2 small sweet yellow onion, grated or finely chopped
3 eggs
Salt
Olive oil
1. Grate potato and chop onion (food processor recommended for this bit). In a large bowl, mix potato, onion, eggs, and salt.
2. Heat a little bit of olive oil in a frying pan (even if the pan is nonstick–the oil helps with the flavor).
3. Spoon fairly small amounts of the potato batter onto the fan and flatten into pancakes about 3″ across and 1/4″ thick. Fry until golden-brown, flipping to cook both sides.
Applesauce and sour cream are traditional accompaniments, but I’m serious about the maple syrup–it balances the onion beautifully. They’re also good with jam or fruit syrups.
I did recently try making some with rosemary, sage, thyme, and garlic in the batter, but they were disappointing. Your mileage may vary.
