295447 Sun Dec 21 22:25:58 -0800 2003 4 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1623770 So, how are your latkes this year? Just had my annual hanukkah party, with latkes, borscht and homemade challah. All a hit...Any tips/secrets? I always wring the heck out of my grated potatoes/onions over a colander beforehand-so no soggy latkes! also, sep. the eggs and whisk the whites stiff before mixing in. Happy hanukkah! Sun Dec 21 22:25:58 -0800 2003 0 dixieday 1 1623775 My latkes keep getting better every year. I always soak the grated potatoes in water until I'm ready to use them. This year I discovered that after removing the potatoes from the water, I could drain the water off and the starch had settled to the bottom of the bowl as a thick paste. After wringing the water out of the potatoes by twisting them in a dishtowel, I added this starch paste to the potato/onion/egg mixture. I'm not sure about the science of it, but it made the latkes fluffier in the center. I'll have to try whipping the egg whites next year. Sun Dec 21 23:12:14 -0800 2003 1623770 0 butterfly 2 1623889 mine get better too - though i'm pretty basic. i too grate over a bowl of water, i add salt and let them sit for about 15-20 minutes. in a food processor i blend too much :)onion. normally that's all i do - squeeze by hand, add onions, fry and warm in the oven. they aren't fluffy though so this year i added an egg (for 2 potatoes) and 2T of matzoh meal. i also wrung the potatoes out in a kitchen towel. i'll definitely whip a white up next time - maybe 2? served with fresh apple compote and horseradish-sour cream Mon Dec 22 19:05:26 -0800 2003 1623775 0 reese 2 1623930 Glad you asked. My latkes have been deteriorating in quality over the last three years or so. Your diagnosis would be appreciated. I grate the potatoes, salt them, and let them drain in a colander for an hour or so. I wring them very, very well and then add sauteed onion, a few tablepoons of flour, salt, pepper and egg. This year I used two eggs to 4-5 lb. of potatoes. As usual, I fried them until they were brown and crunchy outside, which is how I like them. They had great flavor, but were very tough - difficult to cut with a butterknife. Is it the flour that makes them tough? Too much egg? Mon Dec 22 23:40:53 -0800 2003 1623775 0 Cathleen 3 1623964 I'd try them without the added flour. They might be a little looser and nest-like, but they definitely shouldn't turn out tough (unless you do them ahead of time and reheat). Also, what kind of potatoes are you using? I just used garden-variety russets. Anything denser seems to yield bad results. And if you want to try adding the starch back in, you just soak the grated potatoes in water. After you are done grating, let them sit for a few minutes, then take them out and leave the water behind. At the bottom of the bowl there will be a layer of dense starch sediment. You can just drain the water off and then add the starch to the potato/egg mixture. I had always seen this in our family recipe, but I only figured out what they were talking about this year. It really seemed to make the latkes lighter. Tue Dec 23 10:33:29 -0800 2003 1623930 0 butterfly