To celebrate Hannukah, we are sharing Moth staffer Emily Couch's favorite recipe for latkes:
We always get like four frying pans going at once to try to make the latkes as quickly as possible because, inevitably, they take longer than we think they will to fry. We make the batter together and put on music and dance around in her kitchen—which is way too small for one person, let alone two—while the latkes cook. By the end of the night, the entire stove is covered in grease and we smell like fried potatoes for days, but it's totally worth it.
Oh, and My mother will never forgive me for having ketchup with my latkes and thinks it is totally un-Jewish of me. (Maybe it's my dad's side of the family coming out—they're not Jewish). I do also like sour cream with them but I can't get into the apple sauce. I'm sorry, Mom.
Emily Couch's Latkes
(She recommends doubling, because the more the merrier)
6 med. size potatoes
1 onion (diced)
2 eggs (beaten)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup matzo meal
1 tsp salt (coarse pepper optional)
oil for frying
1. Peel potatoes - grate in food processor (1/2 steel blade, 1/2 grated), then squeeze out as much of their liquid as possible
2. Add eggs, flour, matzo meal, salt (optional pepper), and onion
3. Stir to a smooth batter that drops heavily from the spoon
4. Deep fry in oil, high heat (until golden brown)
5. Turn & cook until golden brown on this side too lift out and drain on paper towels