Rick's Latkes

I was watching the cooking channel the other day and Mo Rocca and one of the guests on his show, “My Grandmother’s Ravioli.”was making potato latkes.  They looked delicious and I guess that stuck in my brain!   Since I had both the time and a bunch of Russet baking potatoes left over from Thanksgiving, I decided to make some.  For my first try, they actually came out great!  They are really pretty easy to make, so give them a try!

Ingredients

2 large russet potatoes
1 medium Vidalia onion
2 large eggs
2 tsp horseradish
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil for frying

Toppings:
Applesauce
Sour cream

Directions:

Peel and wash the potatoes. Using the large holes of a box grater or grating disk on a food processor, grate the potatoes and onions. Place the grated potatoes and onion onto paper towels. Ball the towels in a strainer or colander over the sink and press firmly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Open the towel, toss the mixture to loosen it and then wring it out again and place in a large bowl.  Whisk the eggs, panko breadcrumbs, horseradish, salt, baking powder, and pepper thoroughly in a medium bowl. Add the egg mixture to the potato and onions. Using your fingers, mix until everything is well coated. The mixture should be wet and thick, but not soupy.  Pour enough canola oil in a 12 inches nonstick skillet until it is about 1/8" deep.  Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is very hot and shimmering, but not smoking. Drop a small amount of latke mixture into pan and if the fat sizzles, it's ready.

Working in batches and adding more oil to skillet as needed to maintain 1/8 inches fat, drop large tablespoons of the mixture into pan, pressing gently with the back of a spoon or a spatula to flatten slightly. (If mixture in the bowl becomes watery between batches, stir everything to re-incorporate the ingredients, but do not drain.)

Cook the latkes, re-arranging them in the pan for even browning. When the edges of the latkes become brown, lift the edges with a fork or spatula to check for doneness.  Carefully flip them over (away from you) to cook the other side until they are golden brown and cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side.


Transfer the cooked latkes to paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain, then serve immediately.  If you will be serving them later, transfer to a wire rack in a baking pan and place in a 225 degree oven to keep them warm and crisp.  Top the latkes with some sour cream and apple sauce if desired.