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The Secret to Perfect Potato Latkes
Tips from Jake Cohen, Joan Nathan, and more Jewish food stars

Welcome back to GOLDA, your Jewish lifestyle source.
I’m overjoyed by the response GOLDA has gotten since we launched this week. So many of you have subscribed and shared—and your excitement proves just how much we need a bright, fun approach to living Jewishly.
And there’s nothing more fun than latkes.
So now that it’s almost Hanukkah—the first night is Dec. 25, which I’m told is also some other holiday?—we’re turning to our favorite food personalities to find the secret to the perfect potato latke.
We eat foods fried in oil to commemorate the Hanukkah miracle of the oil that burned for eight days during the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. And because it’s delicious. I’ll let the experts take it from here…
Jake Cohen, author of Jew-ish and I Could Nosh, and host of A&E’s Jake Makes It Easy
The secret is squeezing out all the liquid from your shredded potatoes but saving that potato juice. After a few minutes, when you pour it off, you’ll find a secret stash of potato starch—which helps get you extra crispy latkes.
Einat Admony, chef-owner of Balaboosta and Moondog, founder of Taïm Falafel, and author of the cookbook Shuk
My favorite tip for making latkes in large batches is to skip the frying at first and bake them on sheet trays. Just pack your latke mixture onto a tray, bake it, then cut it into squares and fry them for a quick crisp. We've been doing this at Balaboosta for years, and they always come out perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
I didn’t grow up eating latkes, so I feel like I have the freedom to be creative with them. Right now, at Balaboosta, we serve a quinoa-potato latke at brunch, and it’s a big hit. This Hanukkah, we'll be offering sunchoke-quinoa latkes. I also like to switch up the traditional toppings. I add aleppo to my applesauce and roast the apples for a deeper flavor.
I also love making aruk for Hanukkah. Aruk are Iraqi potato pancakes, similar to latkes, but made with mashed potatoes and packed with fresh herbs. I was obsessed with them as a kid. While the typical way to make aruk is with boiled potatoes, I sometimes bake them because I think it makes them fluffier and more flavorful. It’s about keeping tradition while playing around with new ideas.
Niki Russ Federman, fourth generation co-owner of Russ & Daughters
Like French fries, the best latkes are double-fried.
Jeffrey Yoskowitz and Liz Alpern, founders of The Gefilteria
JY: Avoid being basic and boring with your latkes. Flavor, texture, and good frying technique make for a winning combo, so the applesauce and sour cream don't have to do too much heavy lifting. A few best practices: 1. The shred/grate binary for potatoes is outdated. Grate and shred your potatoes for a latke with some texture that also holds together well. 2. Fry with enough oil. If you have avocado or peanut oil, or goose or duck fat, your latkes will be especially tasty. 3. Mix flavorful things in, like quality breadcrumbs (challah, rye, etc.) instead of boring old matzo meal. Mix in lots of herbs and green alliums like dill, parsley, chives, scallions, etc. in addition to onions. 4. Squeeze out the liquid just before frying. I leave a bowl next to the stovetop and squeeze each latke patty before adding to the oil. Less moisture makes for a better fry.
LA: The only other secret to a perfect latke is to stay hydrated while you're at the frying station. It's so easy to focus entirely on the latke execution that you basically lose yourself in the process and barely want to eat any latkes by the time they are done.
Editor’s note: Gefilteria’s delightful and highly topical Carp in Bathtub hat is back in stock!
So many tips! If you like really crispy latkes, use russet or Idaho potatoes. If you like a lusher, more velvety latke, use a waxier potato like a Yukon gold.
The carrot-frying tip. This is genius. I learned it from my friend Kim Kushner, and Moroccan cooks use this a lot. You add a whole, trimmed carrot to the pan with the latkes and it attracts tiny particles from the oil like a magnet and prevents the oil from burning. It also helps regulate the temperature of the oil.
Not overcrowding the pan is always a good idea. Overcrowding reduces the temperature of the oil and can lead to soggy latkes.
Don’t be afraid to vary the latkes. You can throw in a little bit of sweet potato. You can throw in a little bit of beet. You can add scallions or different herbs. (Just know that if you add sweet potatoes or beets, they are sugary and tend to caramelize quicker and can burn faster, so you have to watch them.)
You can do non-potato latkes. You can do broccoli latkes. You can do kohlrabi latkes. You can do anything you want.
Also, my usual rule: Don’t sweat it if your latkes aren’t perfect. It’s fine.
And if you want to get the aroma out of the kitchen after frying latkes, all you have to do is fill a small saucepan with about 2-3 inches of water and add cinnamon sticks (or even powdered cinnamon), star anise, cloves, and allspice berries and put it on a low simmer. It really does absorb the aromas of frying from your kitchen.
Editor’s note: don’t sleep on Adeena’s totally viral sheet pan latke board.
Tannaz Sassouni, Los Angeles-based food writer specializing in Iranian Jewish cuisine
Make latke tahdig! As an Iranian Jew, I didn't grow up with latkes. I love them, but I leave them to the experts. But imagine melding those delicious fried potatoes with the crispy crust that forms at the bottom of a pot of Persian rice, and then adding saffron. Heaven! I recently created a latke tahdig recipe for Erev Yalda, an Iranian Jewish Guide to Navigating the Dark.
Rachel Belle, host of the podcast Your Last Meal and author of the new cookbook Open Sesame
Every year I throw a big Hanukkah party. And every year I end up in Latke Prison—stuck in the kitchen, flipping latkes, because I refuse to make them ahead of time. The perfect latke must be freshly fried and, since I only eat them once a year, I will not compromise. A chef friend and I once tested various make-ahead and reheat methods, and none of them held a candle (or 8 candles!) to a crispy, lacey-edged latke straight from a hot pan. That's why restaurant latkes are always mediocre (oily and soggy). They are pre-made and reheated. The potatoes must be peeled (peel-on tastes like hash browns!), shredded (to maximize crunchy edges!) and squeezed—a drier batter makes for a crispier latke. Always bound with matzo meal, not flour. Sour cream and apple sauce, please!
Micah Siva, dietitian, chef, and author of Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine
The perfect latke is like Goldilocks’ quest for the perfect porridge to eat or bed to sleep on. Some love thin latkes that are somewhat blended, resembling mashed potatoes on the inside, while others like a thicker latke with a coarse grate. I'm on the thick, husky end of the latke spectrum. Regardless, my secret to the perfect latke is soaking your grated potatoes in a big bowl of ice water to remove any excess starch for an extra crispy latke. I also recommend that everyone invest in a cooking thermometer to make sure their oil is around 350F. This helps prevent greasy latkes, raw insides, and burnt outer layers. But of course, the best latke is the one you love. So this year, if you're heating up a Manischewitz or Trader Joe's frozen latke, there's no judgment here. Want more tips? I'm hosting a Latke Masterclass with The Nosher next week.
Joan Nathan, “Grande Dame of Jewish Cooking” and author of 12 cookbooks, including My Life in Recipes
I like latkes crisp. I like to use very little filler; I want the pure potatoes with a little salt and pepper. I have a recipe in my memoir for latkes with chives, and what you do is dry the full potatoes in the oven first. Then you put the latkes together and fry them. It’s pretty amazing.
I try to make my potato latkes in the morning. I drain them on a paper towel and pop them in the oven just before guests arrive. Everyone loves that. You don’t need to refrigerate them, you can leave them out.
We’re going to have a latke party this year, with all different kinds of latkes and a few salads to balance it out.
Editor’s note: Joan shared her response by phone while watching her wonderful granddaughter Alma, who appears in her newly-updated family cookbook, A Sweet Year.
Let us know what kind of latkes you’re making this year! Tag us on Instagram @goldaguide. We’ll see you next week with easy, at-home Hanukkah kids activities and a look at what your favorite Jews do on Christmas.
Stay Golda,
Stephanie
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