These Crispy, Golden-Brown Latkes Are The Only Recipe You Need For Your Hanukkah Celebration (2024)

FAQs

What is the significance of the latkes in Hanukkah? ›

These potato pancakes (called latkes) are meant to symbolize the miracle of Hanukkah, when the oil of the menorah in the ransacked Second Temple of Jerusalem was able to stay aflame for eight days even though there was only enough oil for one day. The symbolism comes in the form of the oil in which latkes are fried.

Vegetable oil or canola oil is usually best, because of its high smoking point. Latkes were traditionally made with schmaltz, or chicken fat, so if you have access to it, you should certainly add it in, because it does contribute to the flavor.

Latkes are pan-fried potato pancakes made from grated potatoes and onion, an egg, and a binder, such as matzo meal or breadcrumbs. Their crispy exterior and a light, creamy inside are all thanks to being pan-fried in a generous amount of fat.

A latke has three main elements: potato, onion, and a binder. The potato part is easy. Don't get anything fancy—russet potatoes are all you need. Russets, often called Idaho potatoes, brown the best and produce tender interiors, thanks to their high starch content.

Similar to the Jewish holiday of Passover, Hanukkah celebrates freedom from oppression. It also supports and celebrates freedom of religious expression. Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of Kislev, the 9th month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year.

You might try an experiment for keeping the latkes crisp, cook off ahead of time, place covered in layers on paper towels and refrigerate or chill. Then two hours later, transfer to a sheet pan in the oven at 300-325 degrees and warm. Should stay crispy this way.

A: This sure sounds a lot like potatoes that have been stored too long, in too cold of an environment before cooking. When potatoes are held below 41°F for too long a period, the starches convert to sugar and it changes the cooking chemistry.

Canola Oil: Best All-Purpose Oil for Frying

It's great for all different kinds of frying methods, but it is also a good choice for roasting vegetables or making dressing. At about 400 degrees, the smoke point of canola oil is fine for deep-frying—a lot of deep-fried foods need an oil temperature of 325 to 375 degrees.

By the way, you don't have to be Jewish or actually celebrate Hanukkah to love latkes. These crispy little potato pancakes make a wonderful appetizer or a great side dish all year long.

Storing and Freezing Latkes

Latkes will keep in the fridge for 5 days. Just wrap them in foil and reheat in one layer on a rimmed baking sheet, uncovered, in a 375°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Latkes will freeze well for one month, wrapped in foil and tucked inside a ziptop freezer bag.

Why do Jews eat applesauce with latkes? ›

In addition to apples' lengthy Jewish history, applesauce enjoys another key advantage: It's not dairy, so it can be served with latkes cooked in chicken schmaltz, a commonplace in the old country.

Your Latkes Fall Apart

Luckily, the fix for both of these problems is the same: add some more starch — ideally in the form of matzo meal — which will soak up that extra moisture and bind the ingredients together more tightly. Flour works too, but it sticks together and makes for denser latkes.

Red potatoes are an excellent source of flavonoid antioxidants like quercetin, kaempferol-rutinose, catechin, and rutin. Red potatoes contain twice the amount of flavonoids as compared to white potatoes. 6They're also a rich source of several nutrients, including vitamin C and potassium.

We took our cues from Potato Latkes and tried both russet potatoes and Yukon Golds, but the russets yielded that perfect crispy, non-cakey consistency we were going for. And here's some bonus intel: You don't even have to peel your potatoes. Seriously, no one will know the difference!

Speaking of oil, eating food fried during Hanukkah is considered a symbol of the oil used to light the menorah. Hence, jelly donuts. Known in Hebrew as sufganiyot (the singular is sufganiyah), Hanukkah donuts were the brainchild of the Israeli labor group Histradut in the '20s, in what was then British-run Palestine.

Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and commemorates in particular the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the lighting of candles on each day of the festival.

When the Seleucid authorities outlawed studying the Torah, Jews continued their practice of Bible discussion. They brought along a dreidel, so that if a Greek saw a group of Jews around a table, it would look like an innocent gambling game rather than illegal Bible study.