In the realm of culinary delights, latkes reign supreme as a crispy, savory treat enjoyed during the joyous festival of Hanukkah. These delectable potato pancakes hold a special place in Jewish cuisine, symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness. In this article, we embark on a culinary journey to discover the secrets behind David Firestone's legendary latkes, renowned for their unparalleled crispiness and irresistible flavor. Firestone, affectionately known as the "Latke King," generously shares his expertise through a curated collection of recipes, each promising a unique taste sensation. From the classic potato latke, a timeless staple, to the intriguing sweet potato latke, bursting with vibrant color and natural sweetness, these recipes cater to diverse preferences. For those seeking a delightful twist, the zucchini latke offers a refreshing and savory option, while the indulgent apple latke combines sweet and savory flavors in perfect harmony. Explore the culinary artistry of David Firestone and elevate your Hanukkah celebrations with these exceptional latke recipes, guaranteed to tantalize your taste buds and create lasting memories around the dinner table.
Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!
DAVID "THE LATKE KING" FIRESTONE'S CRISPY LATKES
These perfect latkes (potato pancakes) are from Molly O'Neill's classic, "The New York Cookbook". The recipe is from her friend David Firestone who hosts a latke party every Hanukkah in Queens. Serve with applesauce and sour cream. Makes 16 latkes.
Provided by blucoat
Categories Potato
Time 30m
Yield 16 latkes, 16 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Pulse the onion in a food processor a few times until the onion is diced into crunchy bits. Remove the blade and scrape the onion into a small bowl. Return the food processor bowl to the machine. (Don't wash it yet.).
- Cut the potatoes lengthwise to fit in the food processor feed tube. Put the medium-coarse food processor shredding disk and turn it on. Begin feeding the potato slices into the machine.
- When the potatoes are shredded, put them in a colander over a large bowl. Dump in the onion bits and mix everything around with your hands, squeezing the potato moisture out as you work. Let the mixture drip for a few minutes.
- Pour out the potato liquid from the bowl, but leave the starch that clings to the bowl. Dump in the shredded potato and onion mix. Add the eggs, matzoh meal, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Then let it sit for about 10 minutes.
- In a large cast-iron skillet, pour in ¼ inch of oil. Over high heat, get the oil very hot. Using a ¼-cup measure or a long-handled serving spoon, spoon the batter into the skillet. Flatten each with a metal spatula to a diameter of 4 to 5 inches. Don't worry about them being uniformly round. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the latkes until golden brown on one side. Then turn over and fry them some more. When crispy on the outside and moist inside, about 5 minutes per side, remove and place on several thicknesses of paper towels. Keep doing this until you run out of batter.
- Serve the latkes immediately.
DAVID FIRESTONE'S LATKES
Back in 1992 the food writer Molly O'Neill playfully named David Firestone "the Latke King" in her "New York Cookbook," and included a recipe he had modified from his mother's and grandmother's. Mr. Firestone, who was for many years an editor at The Times, now uses a food processor to make big batches, sometimes just for the family, sometimes for 60 friends or more. As for the olive oil, it may be the liquid symbol of Hanukkah, but in his house it's imported from Italy.
Provided by The New York Times
Categories dinner, lunch, appetizer, side dish
Time 1h
Yield About 16 latkes
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Place the onion in a food processor. Pulse the blade a few times until the onion is diced into crunchy bits. Remove blade and scrape the bits into a small bowl. Return the food processor bowl to the machine. No need to wash it yet.
- Scrub the potatoes with a brush, and cut lengthwise to fit into the processor feed tube. Put the medium-coarse shredding disk into the processor and turn it on. Begin feeding in the potato slices.
- When potatoes are shredded, place in a colander over a large bowl. Dump in the onion bits and mix everything around with your hands, squeezing out the potato moisture as you work.
- Pour the potato liquid out of the bowl, but leave the starch that clings to the bowl. Dump in the shredded potato and onion mix. Add the eggs, matzo meal, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir the mixture briskly, then let sit for about 10 minutes.
- In a large cast-iron skillet, pour 1/4 inch of olive oil. Over high heat, get the oil very hot. Using a 1/4-cup measure or a long-handled serving spoon, start spooning the batter into the skillet. Flatten each with a metal spatula to a diameter of 4 to 5 inches. Do not try to make the latkes uniformly round. Reduce heat to medium and cook latkes until golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn them over and fry some more, another 5 minutes or so. When crispy on the outside and moist inside, remove latkes and place on several thicknesses of paper towels. Repeat until you run out of batter.
- Serve latkes immediately, with pumpkin preserves.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 369, UnsaturatedFat 29 grams, Carbohydrate 14 grams, Fat 34 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 2 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 158 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram, TransFat 0 grams
CRISPY POTATO LATKES
I love potato pancakes, but this recipe far exceeds any I've ever tried. I recently saw Tyler Florence make these on Food 911, and I couldn't wait to make them. I hope you enjoy them as my hubby & I do!
Provided by Jodee Patterson
Categories Potato
Time 34m
Yield 20 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Using a box grater, coarsely grate the potatoes lengthwise, and grate onions.
- Put the grated potatoes and onions together in cheesecloth or a towel and twist it to squeeze out all the excess liquid.
- Put the dry potatoes and onions in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to personal preference.
- Fold in the egg whites and chives to bind the mixture together.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and coat with 1/4 inch of oil.
- For each pancake, take about 2Tblsp of the potatoe mixture and drop into the hot oil; gently flatten with a spatula so they fry up thin and crispy.
- Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden.
- Remove to paper towels to drain, season with salt while the potato pancakes are still hot.
- Continue frying rest of mixture, adding more oil as needed, until all of the mixture is used up.
- Serve immediately with desired condiment (applesauce or sour cream), if desired.
- This recipe yields (about) 20 pancakes (4")each in size.
DAVID (THE LATKE KING) FIRESTONES LATKES
Steps:
- Place the onion in a food processor. Pulse the blade a few times until the onion is diced into crunchy bits. Remove blade and scrape the bits into a small bowl. Return the food processor bowl to the machine. No need to wash it yet. 2. Scrub the potatoes with a brush, and cut lengthwise to fit into the processor feed tube. Put the medium-coarse shredding disk into the processor and turn it on. Begin feeding in the potato slices. 3. When potatoes are shredded, place in a colander over a large bowl. Dump in the onion bits and mix everything around with your hands, squeezing out the potato moisture as you work. 4. Pour the potato liquid out of the bowl, but leave the starch that clings to the bowl. Dump in the shredded potato and onion mix. Add the eggs, matzo meal, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir the mixture briskly, then let sit for about 10 minutes. 5. In a large cast-iron skillet, pour 1/4 inch of olive oil. Over high heat, get the oil very hot. Using a 1/4-cup measure or a long-handled serving spoon, start spooning the batter into the skillet. Flatten each with a metal spatula to a diameter of 4 to 5 inches. Do not try to make the latkes uniformly round. Reduce heat to medium and cook latkes until golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn them over and fry some more, another 5 minutes or so. When crispy on the outside and moist inside, remove latkes and place on several thicknesses of paper towels. Repeat until you run out of batter. 6. Serve latkes immediately, with pumpkin preserves.
Tips:
- For crispy latkes, use a combination of russet potatoes and sweet potatoes.
- Shred the potatoes on a box grater with the large holes.
- Rinse the shredded potatoes well under cold water, then squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
- Use a cast iron skillet for even heating.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat before adding the latkes.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook the latkes in batches if necessary.
- Flip the latkes carefully when the edges are golden brown and crispy.
- Serve the latkes hot with your favorite toppings, such as sour cream, applesauce, or smoked salmon.
Conclusion:
David Firestone's crispy latkes are a delicious and easy-to-make Hanukkah treat. By following these tips, you can make sure your latkes are crispy, golden brown, and perfectly cooked every time.
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