Aliza Green’s Mom’s Latkes

Chef, cookbook author, fantastic culinary travel guide, and my good friend Aliza Green is based in Philadelphia and a founding member of the culinary honor society Les Dames d’Escoffier. We are among the handful of members of this society that specialize in Jewish cuisine. So, when she sent me the recipe for her mother’s Latkes that were crisp, billowy pancakes, I thought I owed it to my readers to publish her recipe since not everyone grew up with spidery flat potato pancakes. Here is her recipe that is the homemade , and better, version of the boxed potato pancake mix.

Aliza Green’s Mom’s Latkes

4 pounds Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 pounds yellow onions peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup matzo meal, or more if needed
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon sour salt (it’s an old recipe!) OR 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Mix together the potatoes and onions in a 4 quart bowl. Working in batches, add potato and onions to a blender container and blend until fine. Pour mixture into a bowl and repeat blending the remaining potatoes and onions. Add to the bowl and whisk in most, or all the egg until well combined but not pasty.
2. Fold in the matzo meal, baking powder, sour salt (if using)or lemon juice, salt and pepper. The mixture should be firm enough to just hold its shape but still soft and moist. If need be, add a little more matzo meal but let mixture sit while you heat the oil.
3. Heat at least 1-2 inches of oil in a heavy frying pan and drop a teaspoon of mixture into the oil to test the batter’s consistency. If it holds together then proceed with frying the latkes. Do not crowd them. When golden on bottom flip the latkes over using 2 spatulas to prevent splattering.
4. Drain on paper towels and serve or place on a wire rack over a sheet pan and keep warm in a 200F. until all the latkes are made and served.

Tina’s Tidbits:

• Alisa says a good guide to choosing potatoes is the thicker and rougher the skin, the starchier the potato will be.
• I like using the large Yukon or California white potatoes because, having thin skins, I don’t peel them before grating!
• If you crumple your paper towels, there will be more surface area to absorb excess oil from fried foods.
• Regardless of the type of latkes you make, never refrigerate them. Either keep them warm for a bit in the oven, keep them at room temperature and then re-heat in a 425F. oven, or freeze to be re-heated at a later date. Refrigerating the latkes causes the oil to be absorbed and they will be greasy when re-heated and never as crisp.