Sending You a Latke Love! Happy Chanukah 5780!

The tradition of fried potato pancakes on Chanukah goes back for centuries. Some say this oily custom is based on the Book of Judith, which tells the tale of a young Israelite woman’s victory over her violent Assyrian oppressor. In the story, she manages to get the better of the tyrannical monarch by plying him with wine and fried patties. In his inebriated stupor, she decapitates him! I know this is not exactly the feel-good story one might associate with the festival of light, but I promise it makes for stimulating conversation while you enjoy your latkes.

If you’ve ever had a potato latke (or any fried potato...if we’re being honest), you know what all the fuss is about. The hot potato and onion patty, fried to crispy perfection, is a thing of wonder. Whether you celebrate Chanukah or not, anyone can enjoy a latke at any time of year! Many cultures have their own take on this basic, but wondrous preparation of the humble potato. We asked our friend Naomi, with years of latke frying experience, to share her secrets for the perfect potato pancake:

1. Save the starch. After you shred and rise your potatoes, save the rinse water! Once it has been still for a few minutes, the starch will settle to the bottom of the bowl. This stuff is magic! Add some starch back into your batter to make the crispiest most delicious latkes ever.
2. Get the potatoes dry! The less moisture there is in the potato, the crispier it will be. You can put the shredded potatoes in the freezer (Naomi’s grandmother’s trick) or wring them out with cheesecloth. Just let them dry before you make the batter. If they discolour, that’s okay because you’re just frying them anyways.
3. Make sure you fry them with enough (hot) oil! When it looks like you have enough oil in the pan, add more. You want at least a half centimetre of oil in the pan. Test the temperature of the oil with a little of your latke batter. You want the latke sizzling but not so intense that the lacey shredded potato edges will burn before the interior is cooked.
   
4. Use vegetable or canola oil. Olive oil smokes at a low temperature and will overheat. Plus, the olive flavour will overpower your potatoes.
   
5. Only flip them once in the pan! Don’t fuss too much with your latkes once they are cooking. Let them brown on one side, and then flip in once to cook the other. Each side should take approximately 3 - 5 minutes.
   
6. You can make them in advance! They freeze well, and when it’s time to reheat them, just pop them in a hot over (400 degrees) on a wire baking rack until they are piping hot. Fresh off the pan is the best, but your friends will never know the difference.

So grab some russets or yukon golds and get peeling! Latkes are definitely a crowd favourite. Whenever we’ve made them, we have never had leftovers. Just be prepared that for your house to smell like oil for two days after you fry them (which might be a good thing, depending on how much you like them).

Happy Chanukah, friends! Chag Sameach!