I am an expert now. I made them once!!!

Try an experiment with a small amount.
I used Instant Idaho Potatoes. Don't tell Jessy !!!
But I had to leave out the Onions and substituted Apples
chopped fine.
I cooked some in the pan w. butter and even tried the Waffle Baker.
Both were great.

{{!gwi}}

I only had Whipped Cream Cheese and Whipped Cream at the time. Sooooo !!!
LOU

I'm far from an expert, but how do you shred baked potatoes? I grate raw potatoes using the shredder blade in my Cuisnart. I'd be worried that they would be mushy, the texture would just be wrong. AFAIC, it's just my opinion.

If you use cooked potatoes they won't be latkes....they won't be bad, but they will be something other than latkes.
Linda C

You CAN make them day ahead. I always seem to have leftover mixture and keep it in the covered container in fridge. Yes, the top darkens like any cut potato but just stir it in. There is absolutely no difference in taste, color or texture when we fry them up next day..no matter how dark.

I can remember Dad grating and frying latkes for family gatherings and can't imagine they stayed perfectly white. I cheat and use a blender. Enjoy. Sandy

If you grate the potatoes ahead of time and want them to stay white, put them in a bowl and pour oil over potatoes, just enough to coat the top layer. Cover tightly with plastic wrap (NOT FOIL) and refridgerate. When you are ready to make the latkes mix the oil into the potatoes and add the rest of the ingredients.

In the interest of full disclosure I must add, I have never used this method but it was what my aunt did every time she made latkes. I actually have never understood what the problem was with the potatoes going dark. Once they're fried the look just fine.

And what kind of pan is best to cook them in? I've flunked on many types.

Fry latkes in a heavy pan with plenty of oil over medium heat, not too high. Remember, latkes are the traditional food of Chanukah because of the oil, not the potatoes or the onions! You will be surprised at how much oil you use to fry them. But I find if I keep the heat at medium and don't let it go too high I avoid the smoke and the heavy oily smell that otherwise can linger for a long time.

Grate 4 russet potatoes and 1 onion. Add a large egg, salt and oil and matzah meal (or regular white flour) enough to hold the potatoes and onions together. Latkes are more like fritters than pancakes. They take longer than you might expect to fry and the second batch is always better than the first.

LOU: Great job! The waffle iron?! Go Know!

This is a subject that I know a lot about. I have made latkes for 35 years for sometimes as many as 50 people. Grate the potatoes in the processor and then put them back for a short time spin with the other blade. Squish out the liquid in a tea towel or with your hands.. Put in bowl and add some matzah meal or flour, chopped onion and an egg or two.( If there a lot of potatoes). Salt and pepper. The temperature of the oil is very important. I use an electric frying pan (actually two_)to keep the heat at a steady temp. 350 degrees. Fry until brown. Now the trick. Lay on brown paper bags on cookie sheet and freeze. Then put them in bags. Reheat for 10 minutes or so at 400 degrees. they taste like you just made them.

I make them almost exactly like Barbara said, except for the extra spin in the food processor, I mix it all up in a bowl, then let it sit in a strainer over the sink. I squish it down to get rid of the water in the strainer with a towel. I gave up on keeping them white, they turn while I'm frying anyway! I use the electric fry pan, too, and paper towels or brown bags if I have them to drain! They do freeze well. My kid ate them nuked for breakfast, what does she know? She'll take them any which way!

LOL, mimsic, you're right, the second batch is always better. Why is that?

Lou, I love your waffle potato pancakes. I'll have to try it!

I was sort of afraid of that- the need to do it on an electric frying pan. I don't have one. My mom always did it that way and they were thin and crispy.

You don't need to use an electric fry pan at all, you can use a skillet on the stove. It'll still come out great. Crispy and thin if you flatten them a bit before you put them in the pan. See what mimsic said, skillet on medium heat.

I've never mde latkes, so far be it for me to give any latke-making advice. But I do use one trick in making hash browns which may serve to help with the problem of your potatoes turning purple. After I shred the potatoes I immediately put them in a bowl of water, swish, then drain, and repeat the process several times. Solves the discoloration problem and keeps the spuds form getting gummy.

RB

I have the idea that if the oil is hot enough not as much of it will be absorbed into the latka. Gee I thought I needed high heat to prevent absorbing so much of the oil. I'd rather not turn my family into human manorahs, so any more tips on that would be great. I could use my Le Creseut. My foray into All Clad 14 inch pan was not too great this year.

Cooks Illustrated had a latke recipe recently, and they "discovered" a trick that is similar to what I've always done and probably similar to what Barbara achieves with her second brief spin in the food processor - they said to grate the potatoes and stick half of them back into the food processor to chop fine. I usually grate about half on the course shredding blade of my KA shredder and the rest on the fine blade. The finely chopped or shredded potato helps hold it together into a pancake - the coarsely shredded potato gives it a nice latke character.

An electric skillet is convenient because of the temperature control, but any heavy conductive skillet or griddle should work fine.

We put extras in the fridge and pop them into the toaster oven to reheat.

Would it be too amateurish to use a thermometer to help keep the temp at 350?

I have a yucky looking cast iron skillet that works just great.

I made latkes again this morning, and I used seven small Yukon Gold potatoes, half a red onion (it was huge), two eggs, S&P, and a cup of Matzoh meal. I grate the onion and potatoes in the FP and then quickly stir in the eggs. After all the ingredients are mixed, I let the mixture rest for 5 minutes. Mine never turn dark - possibly because I use gold potatoes. Anyway, I made them a bit smaller and thinner this time (not over 1/4" thick and about 3" diameter) and fried them in 1/8" of olive oil in an iron skillet over medium high heat.

The second batch of mine came out better than the first because I found out that I needed to increase the heat. Once I got the temperature right, the rest of the batch came out fine. I ended up with about 16 latkes, and we ate 6 each. I generally reheat the leftover ones in the toaster oven - I would never MW them.

In the past, I made them too thick and they didn't get done enough in the middle. After making them several times, I'm happy with the results. I find it to be a very quick way to make breakfast. They might absorb a bit of olive oil, but I'm not terribly concerned about that - it's not like I'm cooking them in butter. I eat them plain.

Lars

Lars:Like I said, I made them once ,now I'm an expert LOL.
It's Crazy but the few I baked in the Wafflebaker were good
and done in the middle. I know this is revolutionary but why not give it a try.
LOU

If you have a old cast iron skillet that is what I would suggest. I had put my cast iron away years ago and just a few months ago decided to use it again and now I wonder why I thought I needed something newer.
By the way, I have a glass top stove.
Lois

If you want to grate the potatoes the night before...rinse them in several changes of water, and then store them in the fridge in water, with salt.

Over night, the salt and water will keep the potatoes from turning dark.

In the morning, drain the potatoes, and rinse them well. Empty them onto a dish towel and gather the sides and ends together, twisting them into a "rope" that forces the potatoes into a ball. Squeeze all the water you can out of the potatoes in the cloth.

Then proceed with whatever latke recipe you favor.

And for gosh sakes, spurge and serve them with sour cream!