Once the salt has been added to the potato mixture, the latkes should be cooked immediately as this will begin to extract further moisture from the potatoes and onions.
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 lb russet potatoes
- 5 c onion
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/4 c matzo meal
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- canola or peanut oil
- apple sauce Optional
- sour cream Optional
Instructions
Shred potatoes with food processor, squeezing water out of every 2-3 with cheesecloth as you go. Reserve the water and transfer shredded potato to another bowl. Add diced onion to the potatoes.
Let the potato water stand undisturbed until a slurry forms beneath a layer of water. Drain off the water, then mix the remaining starch into the potato and onion mixture with hands.
Alternate adding an egg, 1/4 cup of matzo meal, and salt until the mixture can be formed into patties that just stick together.
Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until a potato shred immediately bubbles when added to pan. Form a single latke and fry on both sides until golden brown to taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Form latke mix into patties 4 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick in the center. Fry, no more than four at once, until golden brown on the bottom and flip with a slotted spatula until the same color is achieved on the other side. Flip as needed to get a firm, darker-than-golden crust on both sides.
Transfer cooked latkes to a sheet pan lined with paper towels to cool 2 minutes, then serve with apple sauce and sour cream.