The basic recipe for potato pancakes is simple and has only six ingredients: potatoes, onions, eggs, matzo meal or flour, salt, and oil for frying. It sounds straightforward enough, but as you may know from experience, latkes can be messy to prepare and difficult to perfect.
We asked chef/owner Mark Kramer of Susan Lawrence Gourmet Foods in Chappaqua to share his expert tips:
- Use Russet potatoes. They have a high starch content and can be shredded long and slender to form lacey latkes, almost like hash browns, or very finely for pancakes that are flatter but with a creamy soft center that reheat beautifully with a great crunch.
- Squeeze out all the liquid from the potatoes. This is critical. Once the potatoes are grated, put them into a linen kitchen towel or cheesecloth and twist and twist until the liquid has been removed, then fry. Kramer says you have to move really fast or the potatoes will oxidize and turn brown.
- Streit’s Matzo Meal is Kramer’s go-to brand and he uses avocado oil or canola oil for frying. Although he wouldn’t share his secret recipe, if you incorporate his smart advice into your favorite latke recipe, you’re guaranteed great results.
Related: Where to Find the Most Marvelous Banana Pudding in Westchester
