Cookaholics Bulletin Board

I need to take latkes to a dinner at a friends home....I've looked online and in my cookbooks and found some recipes, almost all similar....does anyone have a "killer recipe" and I would prefer to fry at home and warm there; anyone have any experience with transporting and rewarming latkes? Most recipes I have found say, serve immediately.
Thanks for any help
Ilene

A very dear friend of mine (an Orthodox Jew) gave me her recipe, which I posted on TOBB years ago. Here ya go, as she wrote it...love the commentary:


Fay's Potato Latkes

Grating by hand is always best, but it's too hard on the back so I use the food processor.

Peel and grate 10 large potatoes
6 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs
4 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
(1 tsp. baking powder - my mother in law adds)

Heat oil in pan on medium heat and use large spoon to gently drop the latke mixture onto the pan. The trick is to make a large latke with substance in the center, and crispy on the outside and edges. Fry on both sides until golden brown and place on paper towels. Can be reheated in oven. They can also be frozen, surprisingly. You'll want to at least double this recipe since you'll be heating half of it while standing and frying. It makes a nice amount of latkes. I never need applesauce as a side dish. They are too delicious on their own merit.

Thanks Amy...this is pretty close to what I remember my mother's recipe to be,(wish I could find it). I do remember that mom also grated an onion into hers, so I will probably add that to Fays recipe. So glad to know they can be successfully reheated as that would make my life much easier.
Ilene

What? no chicken schmaltz?

My mother did fry them in schmaltz when she had some on hand. Oddly enough, we were all asked to bring a dish that is a family favorite or represents our heritage... the hostess is making the main course...her family favorite, "ham balls".
Ilene

I fry in a combo of schmaltz and oil. My recipe is from epicurious: Maxine's latkes from December 1998 from Adam Rappaport. Apparently won the James Beard 4th annual latke cook-off in both people's choice and amateur awards. I like them. I probably need to drain the potatoes and onions better. Any special techniques besides dish towels?
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/ ... kes-102321

Ilene, all:

Unfortunately, I don't have my recipe with me to share. Actually it's pretty much the Betty's Diner recipe, with some small tweaks.

One thing which is traditional ... and also works well ... is to use a little matzoh meal in the latkes in place of the bread crumbs in Amy's recipe.

I don't understand about using schmaltz with latkes. The whole point of the holiday is olive oil ...

I make latkes for Christmas breakfast. The most important thing is to wring all the water out of the potatoes. I've never found anything that beats a kitchen towel for doing this. I don't use a recipe, just wing it. I use flour instead of bread crumbs amd always add a dash of tobasco.

Grated potatoes - ALL the water wrung out
Minced onion
Flour
S&P
Egg
Tobasco

I fry them in olive oil in a large cast iron skillet. Sometimes I add butter to the oil.

fitzie

Thanks Fitzie
I completely forgot about using a kitchen towel to wring put the potatoes...you just reminded me of a lovely image of my mom doing that
Ilene

Ilene, to me the holidays are all about memories, the ones I already have and the ones I'm making for my family.
fitzie