If they're falling apart, perhaps more egg might help? Do you have a recipe or are you just winging it? Also, different types of potatoes yield different results, depending on how starchy or waxy they are. Additionally, they need to be rather thin if you want them cooked through in the center - maybe 1/2 inch or thinner.

I always fry in my cast iron skillet over medium high heat, using high heat oil. It can take awhile to get the oil to the proper temp. & it's tempting to start frying too soon. It's also tempting to turn too soon; I wait until I see edges browning. & you can't be stingy w/ the oil.

I've always used flour, not starch, but not sure if that's appropriate for Hannukah...?

Here's 1 of many recipes from Martha Stewart ; her recipes are generally foolproof, IME.

Oh, & from Nat'l Potato Ass'n: Three medium potatoes equal about 1 pound.

HTH

Here is a link that might be useful: MS Potato Pancakes

There's an article right on epicurious' home page that may offer some help. Good luck and Happy Channukah!

Here is a link that might be useful: Epicurious

My late mother said the potatoes had to be shredded by hand on a box grater.

I shred mine in a food mill using the small hole disc. I don't use flour or potato starch but Matzo meal. After I shred the potatoes I rinse them then whiz them in the salad spinner to get them really dry. DH loves them :-)

I just made latkes to have with toasted tomato sandwiches. I used white and sweet potatoes and onion, all shredded on the box grater.

2 egg whites and 3 tbsp flour. Fried in vegetable oil in my non-stick skillet. You can also bake them at 400 with the latkes sprayed with cooking spray. These were made on tv by a local cook who is Jewish, Rose Reisman

The FP large disk should be fine. It's the same as a box grater, though if the strings are long, you might want to break them. Also, try tossing the potatoes with the potato starch before you combine with the other ingredients. I agree that another egg might help, and maybe some more starch, for creating glue.

Are you pressing firmly before you put them in the pan? That would help seal them.

If your mixture is on the dry side, which it sounds like it is, you might also consider portioning them out and forming them on parchment or waxed paper and using an open spatula to lower them into the oil.

I'm guessing you don't want to just use another recipe because you're trying to get it to be like mom's? There might be enough difference in the moisture, starchiness, etc., of your potatoes and other ingredients, even if they look the same, that adjusting the proportions is necessary.

Other than that, I will say that the Osem mix used to be mighty tasty. :) It's fine textrued, not large grated, but kind of infallible and everyone likes them. :) I haven't actually used it for 30 years (it was great in my minimal kitchen abroad at that point), but I imagine it hasn't changed much. :) (Little Chanukah joke here, but they really were good...)

Thanks for all the ideas. Using potato starch as dh is GF so no flour or Matzo meal, however my mom uses the potato starch as well so no difference there.

I'm going to give it another go tonight :) and 3 nights more to get it right.

Then I'll forget all about it and have to start over next year. It's the only time we eat fried foods so it's an extra treat :)

Thanks for all the ideas. Using potato starch as dh is GF so no flour or Matzo meal, however my mom uses the potato starch as well so no difference there.

I'm going to give it another go tonight :) and 3 nights more to get it right.

Then I'll forget all about it and have to start over next year. It's the only time we eat fried foods so it's an extra treat :)

I like to grate about half the potatoes with a course grater and half with a fine one. The finer potatoes help stick it together while the courser ones add more texture.

I do mine in the FP as a 2 step process. I first use the shredding blade. After all the potatoes are shredded I use the chopping blade and process in small batches with about 10 pulses. I find it breaks up the long shreds into just-right size pieces. (I used to use the hand grater, but my company wouldn't have wanted to know that the secret ingredient is blood!). Not very much liquid to pour out.

Tonight I used 9 ginormous potatoes from Costco, added 4 eggs and about 6 tablespoons of matzoh meal, salt and pepper, no onion. Used 2 large skillets and canola oil. Served 12 hungry people with leftovers. Yummy with sour cream and apple sauce.

Make them small and thin, use plenty of oil, high temp, only cook a couple at a time. The oil needs to be very hot so the potato crisps instead of getting soggy and oily. Just like if you are deep frying potatoes: oil that is not hot enough to start with, or cooking too much at once (which cools the oil) makes a oil soaked, mushy, gross french fry - or latke. You also need enough oil to carry the heat into the interior of the latke before the outside gets burned.

I don't actually cook latkes but instead cook roesti, which is shredded potato, onion, no binder. They hold together fine; you don't actually need a binder like flour or egg, though it doesn't hurt.

John, rule of thumb: The way to know it's a Jewish recipe is if it has an extra egg. ;)

lol pllog - so true.

I've decided to let my mom continue making latkes then my nieces can take over. They all seem able to make the elusive to me latke perfectly.

Had latkes at MileEnd last week. Good but like mine better. I use leeks, scallions and beets. No flour. Only one egg for 8, 2 for 16...
And fine cube a simmered potato and smash for a binder. Some fresh dill.
Grated simmered apple compote. Dill/garlic yogurt cream.

NYTimes has some good variations to cruise for help...

If unhappy with your results...lay them on a sheet pan and pop in the oven on parchment as you cook....they will continue cooking and crisp up in the oven.
Oven at about 300 will keep them hot and crisp.

Here is a link that might be useful: NYTimes latke recipes

Interesting menu !

Latkes fall apart sometimes. That's life.

ROTFL!! Thanks for posting the menu!

A box grater has four sides, and the shredding side, which may be the same as the shredding disc in a food processor, is the wrong side for latkes.

You'd need to use the grating side, e.g. the side shown at http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/cuisinart-reg-box-grater/1043395156 , or perhaps a fine paddle grater.

Which is why I don't bother. It takes forever, and once the blood from your knuckles gets into the potatoes, they're no longer kosher :).

There's a disc for that on the FP, too, if you have it. :)

But mine have the long shreds not the rasped gratings. Except the old mix. ;)

Does this help at all?!

They sure look good.

Anyway, have a Happy Chanukah

I'm late to the party but perhaps you can save it for next year. I didn't get a chance to make latkes this year during Hanukkah and only had them once so yesterday I tried Smitten Kitchen's recipe.

I did one minor tweak which was to substitute the potato starch that settled out of the potato liquid for about 1/2 of the flour.

They were the best latkes I've ever made - crispy on the outside, moist and flavorful on the inside. No falling apart - they had good structural integrity. I pat them with the back of the spoon after spooning into the pan so that they are fairly flat.

Here is a link that might be useful: Smitten Kitchen latke recipe