The beginning of Hanukkah is always a great time for us here at the Stokes headquarters – because it means that Joelle, our Director of Branding, is going to bring us delicious, crispy latkes!
This year, we had to get the recipe from her! Joelle originally learned the traditional potato latke recipe from her grandmother, who is lovingly known to her grandchildren as “Bubba”. Of course, Joelle’s grandmother was an expert and never had an official recipe, it was always just “a pinch of this” and “a dash of that”.
With some practice, Joelle was able to recreate the recipe and now is something that she makes for her daughter every year on Hanukkah – and something we get to enjoy too!
This recipe is for the classic potato latkes, but any variety of vegetables like zucchini, cauliflower and carrots would be amazing too. Do you prefer spicy latkes, like Joelle? Add some sriracha into the mix!
If you’re making latkes for the first time this year, here is Joelle’s classic recipe for potato latkes:
Ingredients:
2 large Russet potatoes (about 1 pound), scrubbed and cut lengthwise into quarters
1 large onion (8 ounces), peeled and cut into quarters
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt), plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Safflower or other oil, for frying
Preparation:
Using a food processor with a coarse grating disc, grate the potatoes and onion. Transfer the mixture to a clean dish towel and squeeze and wring out as much of the liquid as possible.
Quickly transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the eggs, flour, salt, baking powder and pepper, and mix until the flour is absorbed.
In a medium heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, pour in about 1/4 inch of the oil. Once the oil is hot (a drop of batter placed in the pan should sizzle), use a heaping tablespoon to drop the batter into the hot pan, cooking in batches. Use a spatula to flatten and shape the drops into discs. When the edges of the latkes are brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, flip. Cook until the second side is deeply browned, about another 5 minutes. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt while still warm. Resist the urge to take a bite and repeat the process!
Serve with a side of applesauce or sour cream, or both! This is the perfect winter snack and a great way to enjoy the flavours of Hanukkah. If you make this recipe and want to share with us, tag us on Instagram @stokesstores and use the hashtag #StokesMoments.