Potato pancakes are fried pancakes of grated potato, flour
and egg, flavored with grated onion and seasoning. Potato pancakes are topped
with sour cream or applesauce. These go well with pork and may be garnished
with lingonberry jam. Latkes are potato pancakes that Jews have prepared as
part of the eight-day Hanukkah holidays since the middle Ages. The Jewish
version may be thickened with Matzo. In Iranian cuisine, kuku sib-zamini is
made with shredded potatoes, onion, saffron, sometimes garlic chives5
and sometimes cinnamon.
The starchier the potato, the crisper the
latke. The Maris Piper has a golden skin and creamy white flesh with a fluffy
texture. This makes it versatile and great for frying and roast potatoes. The
graded onion and potato are rung out in a dry towel to remove excess water. The
drier the mix, the crisper the pancake. When forming pancakes, press down to
thin as pancakes as they cook faster and are crisper. Fry in batches, cook on
both sides in hot oil4 until golden brown.
Preheat oven to 200 F to hold warm until serving
1 ¼ Pound Maris Piper potatoes
1/2 Cup finely grated shallots
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 To 3/4 cup peanut oil
2 Tablespoons AP flour6
or Matzo7 meal
Black pepper
Peanut oil
Accompaniments:
Sour cream, smoked salmon, salmon roe, caviar, dill and seasoned applesauce (salt, Ceylon Cinnamon).
Salt pancakes after frying, layout on paper towels, place in
oven to keep warm. It is best to serve when hot.
Garnish:
Sprigs of dill, chives, or both
Notes:
- Sub Spanish onion for shallots
- Sub russets for Maris Piper potato
- Sub corn oil for Peanut oil
- Oil temp is 365 F. Allow oil to regain its temperature between batches.
- Find garlic chives at the Asian market
- Sub Bisquick for All Purpose flour
- Matzo crackers are ground larger for a coarser version, or smaller, for fine meal.