posted by Sandy in Baltimore 05-12-102 12:36 PM
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Holiday Jewish Potatoes
Mom's Potato Pancakes
8 large Potatoes
2 large Onion
4 tablespoons Matzo Meal
2 Egg -- beaten
2 teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
Clarified Butter and Oil Mixture
Mimi Sheraton's Potato Pancakes
16 medium Russet Potatoes
2 large Onion
4 Eggs
4 tablespoons Potato Flour or Matzo Meal
2 Scant Tablespoon Salt
2 teaspoons White Pepper
Corn Oil
Wash and peel potatoes. Peel onions. Cut both vegetables into large chunks. Using a food processor, grate some chunks of the potato, alternating with the onion chunks. I am absolutely convinced that by using the shredder attachment to the food processor and pressing firmly on the potato chunks as I feed them through the tube I get a consistency which is virtually identical to hand-grated. I would not recommend using the basic steel blade of a food process to do the grating.
Place a colander large enough to hold the grated potato-onion mixture over a pot or bowl. Remove the grated potato-onion mixture from the food processor bowl and put in the colander. Let stand for five minutes. Press down on the mixture to hasten the draining process. Repeat this pressing step two-three more times at five minute intervals. The ingredients will be ready when the mixture no longer squishes when pressed (in approximately 15 minutes).
The juice from the onion should prevent the potato from discoloring. However, don't worry if the potato does discolor to a pinkish color. Taste is unaffected and somehow the right color returns during cooking. Gray discoloration is a bit more problematic. It usually means that you have doubled/tripled the recipe and are coping with too large a batch of potatoes and there is not enough onion.
Place the potato-onion mixture in a mixing bowl. Add all remaining items in the ingredient list except the cooking oil. Blend well.
Carefully, pour the liquid out of the bowl/pot which was placed under the colander during the draining step. At the bottom of the bowl, you will find a thick, starchy paste (potato starch). Scrape this paste out of the bowl and add to the potato-onion-egg mixture, blending well.
Heat 1/2 inch depth of oil (or oil-butter mixture) in a skillet.
Use about 2 rounded tablespoons of potato mixture for each pancake. Drop into skillet and flatten with spatula. Fry pancakes about ten minutes total, turning once. The pancakes should be golden brown.
Occasionally, stir the contents of the bowl to maintain the same ratio of ingredients as you work through the total potato-onion mixture.
Serve immediately. Ms. Sheraton says good potato latkes should be held in a warm oven no more than 15 minutes before being served!!
TO FREEZE: Place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Pop the sheet into the freezer. Once they are frozen, place them in Zip Lock freezer bags.
TO SERVE: When you plan on using them, preheat oven to about 400 degrees and place them in the oven on a wire rack over a cookie sheet. Do not defrost them first!! Bake until hot and crispy.
Keep warm on a hot tray and serve with applesauce and sour cream for dipping.
To make uniform sized latkes, use a 1/4 cup measure, or a ice cream scoop to place the mixture into the heated oil.
But one modern twist gets votes from everybody who cooks latkes:Yukon Gold potatoes. The buttery flavor lifts a latke past the ordinary. Russets, or baking potatoes, are a second choice.
Cook the latkes until golden brown on one side. Then turn over and fry them some more. When crispy on the outside and most inside, about 5 minutes per side, remove and place on several thickness of paper towels or clean paper supermarket bags. Keep doing this until you run out of batter.
NOTES : These produce a very thin, crisp, light potato latke with an intensely potato-y flavor.