Potato Latkes

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs potatoes or sweet potatoes
• 1 large onion, chopped fine
• 2 large eggs
• salt
• oil
• sour cream and/or applesauce

Steps:

1. Peel and finely grate potatoes. Put in cold water, then drain and squeeze dry, removing starchy liquid.
2. Combine potatoes and onions. Beat eggs with salt, add to mixture and stir well.
3. Heat a large frying pan, add oil up to 1/4-inch. When hot, drop large spoonfuls (up to 1/4 cup) into pan, and flatten. (I like to have them come out about 5-inch diameter, and usually cook three at a time.) When firm and browned, flip and fry other side. Repeat until you run out, adding oil as needed. Drain on paper towels, and serve immediately, with sour cream and/or applesauce on the side.

Notes:

• Roden's recipe doesn't call for onion, but offers the addition of "black pepper, chopped parsley, and finely chopped onion" as a variation. I consider the onion essential. I usually chop the onion in the food processor. I peel the potatoes, soak them in water not so much to remove starch as to prevent discoloration. Then I dry them off, run them through the coarse grader disc of the food processor, then put the blade in the bowl and chop them further. I always use black pepper, and often add flat-leaf parsley, which adds a nice bit of color.
• Other recipes call for addition of matzo meal or potato flour, which would bind the pancakes tighter. I've never done that. [PS: I've used potato flour. It doesn't make much difference.]
• I usually use russet potatoes, but lately I've been using sweet potatoes instead. [PS: I've gone back to russets.]

Keywords: Ashkenazi, Potato, Potato.