Ohhh yes 🥔✨ Potato pancakes—crispy on the outside, soft inside, perfect with sour cream or applesauce. Here’s a classic, foolproof recipe that hits that golden, savory comfort-food vibe.
🥔 Classic Potato Pancakes (Latkes)
Ingredients (makes ~8 pancakes)
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled
- 1 small onion
- 1 large egg
- 2–3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Oil for frying (vegetable, canola, or sunflower)
Instructions
1️⃣ Prep potatoes
- Grate potatoes finely (box grater or food processor).
- Grate onion.
- Place potato and onion in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible—this is key for crispiness.
2️⃣ Make batter
- In a bowl, combine grated potatoes & onion, egg, flour, salt, and pepper.
- Mix until everything is well combined.
3️⃣ Fry pancakes
- Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Spoon ~2–3 tbsp batter per pancake, flatten slightly with spatula.
- Fry 3–4 min per side until golden brown and crispy.
- Transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil.
4️⃣ Serve
- Warm, with sour cream, applesauce, or even smoked salmon for a fancy twist.
Pro Tips
- Crispy edges: remove excess moisture from potatoes; don’t overcrowd pan.
- Uniform size: use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion batter.
- Flavor variations: add a pinch of garlic powder, paprika, or chopped herbs like chives.
- Make ahead: can keep warm in 200°F (95°C) oven for 10–15 min.
If you want, I can give a “super crispy, extra fluffy inside” version where we par-cook the potatoes for extra lightness—basically perfect restaurant-style latkes 😏.
Do you want me to do that?
