This recipe was originally taken from Norene Gilletz’s Gourmania website and then tweaked in method to go with other recipes we have made over the years. We then made it gluten free for a friend and decided that potato flour made it even better so now we have our favourite recipe. For a few years we made thee thin lacy crisp potato latkes but got tired of them. These have some crisp edges, crunchy surface and lots of potato flavour and substance.
Our Favourite POTATO LATKES
• 4 medium potatoes peeled or scrubbed (or substitute Purple Sweeties)
• 1 medium onion
• 2 eggs (or 1 egg plus 2 egg whites)
• 1/3 cup potato flour or flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp oil (plus more as needed for frying latkes)
Use Idaho (russet) potatoes.
1. Cut 4 of the potatoes in chunks and onion in half. Place in processor. Pulse with the Steel Blade until partially pureed and no big chunks of potato or onion are left, 10 to 15 seconds at most.
2. Dump processed potatoes and onion onto a kitchen towel and squeeze out liquid.
3. Put back into food processor. In a bowl, lightly whisk two eggs and then add to potato mixture in processor.
4. Add remaining ingredients except oil; process a few seconds longer. Then pour out into a mixing bowl
5. Grate the last potato onto the kitchen towel and squeeze out any moisture.
6. Add grated potato to the processed potato mixture in the bowl and fold it all together.
7. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drop potato mixture into hot oil by large spoonfuls and flatten slightly; brown well on both sides. Drain well on paper towels. Add additional oil to pan as needed. Stir batter before cooking each new batch. Latkes can be placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet and kept warm in a 250 degree F oven.
8. (To bake latkes instead of frying, place oven racks on lowest and middle positions in oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Drop potato mixture by spoonfuls onto well-oiled baking sheets; flatten slightly. Bake 10 minutes, until bottoms are browned and crispy. Turn latkes over. Transfer pan from upper rack to lower rack and vice versa. Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer.)
Yield: about 2 dozen or 5 dozen miniatures. Freezes well.
