Submitted by Batya Stepelman from Sparrows & Spatulas.
I grew up thinking that latkes, that traditional Chanukah potato pancake, were a uniquely Jewish dish. But latkes exist in lots of European countries, they just have different names. In Germany the latke is called Kartoffelpuffer or Reibekuchen. In Luxembourg you’d order Gromperekichelcher. Poles slather their placki ziemniaczane in sour cream. Ukrainians, Belarusians and Russians call their potato pancake deruny or draniki. And the Swiss have Rösti, a very large potato pancake that’s a lot like a latke, except it doesn’t contain eggs or flour.
I’ve been experimenting with latkes quite a bit these past few days. Though I love the classic latke with a side of sour cream or applesauce, I’ve been inspired by some local foodies here in Denver. I now like to smother my latkes in a quintessential Colorado topping– green chili. Then I add a poached egg. It’s a latke with a Denver-twist!
Region: Europe
Country of Origin: Germany
Ingredients
Makes 24
- 3 pounds large russet potatoes (4-6)
- 1 medium Vidalia, yellow, or brown onions (about 2)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup fine plain dried breadcrumbs
- 3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2-4 tablespoons (or more) vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons (or more) schmaltz (chicken fat; optional)
- Applesauce
- Sour cream
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325°. Peel potatoes. Using the large holes of a box grater or the grater disk on a food processor, grate potatoes and onions. {I use the box grater for the potatoes and the food processor grating dish for the onions.} Transfer to a large kitchen towel. Gather ends of towel; twist over sink and squeeze firmly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Open towel; toss mixture to loosen. Gather towel; wring out once more.
Whisk eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, baking powder, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Add potato mixture. Using your fingers, mix until well coated. (Latke mixture should be wet and thick, not soupy.)
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with several layers of paper towels. Set a wire rack inside another large rimmed baking sheet; set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons schmaltz, if using, and 2 tablespoons oil (or 4 tablespoons oil if not using schmaltz; fat should measure about 1/8 inches) in a 12 inches nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drop a small amount of latke mixture into pan. If the fat sizzles around the edges, it’s ready. (Do not let fat smoke.)
Working in batches and adding more schmaltz and oil to skillet as needed to maintain 1/8 inches fat, drop large spoonfuls of mixture into pan, pressing gently with the back of a spoon or spatula to flatten slightly. (If mixture becomes watery between batches, mix to incorporate; do not drain.)
Cook latkes, occasionally rotating pan for even browning, until golden brown and cooked through, 2 1/2-3 minutes per side. (If small pieces of potato floating in the oil start to burn, carefully strain out.)
Transfer latkes to paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain, then transfer to prepared wire rack. Place sheet with latkes in oven to keep warm and crisp while cooking remaining latkes.
Serve warm latkes with applesauce and sour cream.
Recipe Courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine.
ancestreats.com 
We tried the latkes and used basically ate too many, They were a gigantic success before our main course, Thanks
Batya, oOoh… part of the Ancestreats team is based out in New Mexico; we’ll be sure to try the green chili topping next year! Thank you for sharing.