Food Processor Latkes
קאַרטאָפֿל לאַטקעס·(kartofl latkes)
Weekend Feasts & Holiday Gatherings
For first-generation Americans, the smell of sizzling potatoes and onions is the visceral, unadulterated scent of home. But grandma showed her love through scraped knuckles on a box grater, a sacrifice you no longer have to make. The secret to a shatteringly crisp, tender-centered deli latke on a weeknight doesn't demand suffering—it demands a food processor and a little science. By utilizing a dual-blade chopping method, squeezing the potatoes bone-dry, recovering their native starch, and frying in oil spiked with a heavy dose of schmaltz, you get the old world, masterfully hacked for the new one.
Before you start
Secure your schmaltz ahead of time.
Check the frozen kosher section of your local supermarket for rendered chicken fat. It is the absolute flavor backbone of the dish and bridges the gap between neutral vegetable oil and old-world authenticity.
Ingredients
- Russet potatoes2 1/2 lb
- yellow onion1 large
- eggs2 large
- matzo meal1/4 cup
- potato starch2 tbsp
- kosher salt2 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- baking powder1/2 tsp
- neutral oil1 1/2 cup
- schmaltz3 tbsp
Method
- 01
Shred the potatoes and onion together using the food processor's coarse grating disc.
Running the onion alongside the potatoes immediately coats the shreds in acidic onion juice, stopping the raw potatoes from oxidizing and turning a dismal gray.
- 02
Swap to the chopping blade to mince half the mixture.
Remove half the shreds to a bowl. Swap the shredding disc for the standard metal 'S' blade, then pulse the remaining potatoes in the processor three to four times until roughly minced. Recombine them in the bowl. This dual-blade trick mimics the varied texture of hand-grating, yielding a soft center and crispy, straggly edges.
- 03
Squeeze the shredded mixture aggressively to remove all moisture.
Transfer the potatoes and onions into a clean dish towel or double layer of cheesecloth, twist the bundle tightly over a bowl, and squeeze until your forearms ache. Water is the absolute enemy of a crispy crust.
- 04
Recover the pure, natural potato starch from the extracted liquid.
Let that bowl of squeezed potato juice sit undisturbed for ten minutes. Pour off the brown water and scrape the thick, white paste at the bottom—pure native potato starch—directly into your dried potato mixture.
- 05
Bind the fritter base with eggs, starches, and seasoning.
Add the beaten eggs, matzo meal, commercial potato starch, salt, pepper, and baking powder to the potatoes. Toss it thoroughly with your hands or a fork until the mixture feels damp but not wet.
- 06
Shallow fry the latkes in a heavy skillet at 350°F.
Heat the neutral oil and schmaltz in a cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed frying pan. The schmaltz is non-negotiable for that authentic deli aroma. Drop loosely packed quarter-cups of batter into the hot fat, flatten slightly with a spatula, and fry undisturbed for three to four minutes per side until deeply golden.
- 07
Drain on a wire rack and serve immediately.
Avoid resting them on paper towels, which trap steam and cause soggy bottoms. Serve blistering hot with chunky applesauce and sour cream.
Notes
Do not overcrowd the pan.
Adding too much cold batter at once drops the oil temperature below the crucial 350°F threshold. Without the rapid outward push of steam, the potatoes will absorb the fat instead of frying, leaving you with a soggy, grease-logged pancake.
Never microwave a latke to reheat it.
If you are cooking for a crowd, fry them completely, cool on a wire rack, and freeze. Reheat directly on a wire rack set in a 400°F oven for ten minutes to perfectly re-crisp the exterior lipids.