The Secret Ingredient

Whoever heard of rice oil? It turns out to be the secret ingredient for making successful potato latkes. Our latkes were never so good as good as those we made last night, our contribution to a spectacular Christmas dinner at my friend Deborah’s house.

After having eaten many heavy, soggy latkes, my husband did his usual thorough research on the Internet and came up with some useful information about how to make those light crisp ones that are so delicious.

It turns out the oil is perhaps the most important thing. One article suggested using rice oil, instead of the more traditional peanut or canola oil, as it has a higher smoking point and a delicate flavor. It’s probably “not a common choice” because it’s so hard to find. He finally found it at MOM’s, a local organic market.

Another article had the following hints for good latkes:

(1) Keep it dry. We squeezed most of the water out of the grated potato-onion mixture using cheesecloth.

(2) Keep it thick. Thick pancakes absorb much less oil than thin ones.

(3) Keep it hot. Less-than-hot oil seeps into food, making it soggy and greasy.

(4) Keep it steady. Do not overcrowd the fryng pan.

(5) Keep it white. Don’t grate the potatoes in advance because they will turn brown. If they have to sit, add a touch of white vinegar to the grated potatoes.

(6) Keep it fresh and hot. Latkes should be eaten immediately!

Here’s a couple of fairly foolproof recipes adapted from Joan Nathan’s “Jewish Cooking in America”:


Crispy Traditional Potato Pancakes

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
1 medium onion
½ cup chopped scallions, including the green part
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup matzoh meal
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Rice bran oil for frying

1. Peel the potatoes and grate them using a food processor. Grate the onions as well. Put about 1/4 of the mixture back in the processor with the blade to turn it into “mush”. Put all of this in cheesecloth or a tea towel and squeeze out the liquid into a bowl. After it settles, pour off the top layer, saving the potato starch at the bottom and adding it back into the potato-onion mixture in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the scallions, egg, matzoh meal, salt, and pepper.
3. Heat an electric skillet or a griddle to around 375 degrees. Add about 1/3 ” of oil. When it is hot enough to sizzle, form latke batter into small pancakes in your hand and place in the hot oil, frying about 4-5 at one time.
4. Remove to paper towels on a cookie sheet to drain off any excess oil.
5. Eat immediately with sour cream and homemade apple sauce.


Curried Sweet Potato Latkes

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less)
2 teaspoons sweet curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large eggs, beaten
½ cup milk
Rice bran oil for frying

1. Grate the sweet potatoes coarsely. In a separate bowl mix the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cayenne pepper, curry powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
2. Add the eggs and milk. Add the potatoes and mix.
3. Heat an electric skillet or a griddle to around 375 degrees. Add about 1/3 ” of oil. When it is hot enough to sizzle, place large spoonfuls of batter in the hot oil, frying about 4-5 at one time.
4. Remove to paper towels on a cookie sheet to drain off any excess oil.
5. Eat immediately with sour cream and homemade apple sauce.


Rose Zawid’s Applesauce with Cranberries

3/4 pound fresh cranberries
1-1/2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
4 pounds apples, unpeeled and quartered

1. Put all ingredients in a large saucepan. Simmer, covered, 20 minutes or until the apples are soft.
2. Cool slightly and put through a food processor, leaving the liquid behind in the pan.

The is day 6 of the 8 days of Hanukkah, so you still have time to enjoy latkes of some variety while the oil lasts!