A Family Food Squabble of Negligible Importance – Potato Latkes

I’m a lucky guy. My wife and I see eye to eye on most things and real disagreements between us are few and far between. (Notwithstanding that one in the aisles of Costco some dozen years ago surrounding a birthday celebration and frozen cream puffs, when our young children were convinced we were going to get a divorce.)

There are a few things we don’t agree on when it comes to food. I think lobster should be dipped in butter, while my wife prefers a squeeze of fresh lemon. Similarly, I know the right way to eat a fresh steamed artichoke is to dip it in melted butter before scraping away the meaty bottom of the leaf with your front teeth. She incorrectly dips hers in a bit of lemony mayonnaise. Whenever we treat ourselves to one of these extravagant delights, we each give a taste of the other’s preferred accompaniment and inevitably return to our preferred method. A minor argument always ensues; I’ve tried to change her, but she is stubborn.

Around this time of year, another family food squabble of negligible importance arises – what to serve on the side with latkes – potato pancakes. I am firmly in the applesauce camp, while my wife is on team sour cream. The sweetness of applesauce perfectly matches the saltiness of the crisp, wispy potatoes. It is light and healthy, providing at least a semblance of plant matter to an already artery-clogging meal. Sour cream is unnecessary and heavy. The potatoes – fried and with eggs to bind them – are rich enough on their own. With sour cream you get full too quickly; it limits the number of latkes you can eat, and after all, they are the main attraction.

Once a year we sit down to eat latkes, always with both sour cream and applesauce on the table. And as regularly as the leaves fall from the trees, we argue about the proper way to dip. I go for the bowl of applesauce, she for the tub of sour cream. I try to convince her of what is right, but I am never successful; she would eat a shoe if it was dipped in sour cream.

I know these disagreements are insignificant in the grand scheme of the problems our world faces as 2020 comes to a close. It has been a tough year, and we are in for an even more difficult winter. But these discussions about the best way to enjoy food are perennial and an important part of our relationship. I don’t view them as a burden on the bond we share, but rather a gift that shows we are fortunate to have choices that so many others lack, as well as each other to rely on for support when it really matters – even if I don’t support her dipping of potato latkes in sour cream.

Potato Latkes

I don’t understand why people think making latkes is such a big deal. The hardest part is shredding the potatoes, and a food processor makes easy work of it. The only real trick is squeezing as much water out of the potatoes as possible so they fry up crisp and light. I know some are averse to frying at home, but this is pan frying, not deep frying, and pan frying should not be scary at all.

I also don’t understand those boxes of latke mix that you see in the store. What is that? I mean latkes are mostly potato. Why do we need a substitute for potato or a quick, tasteless version of something so good and simple? On a similar note, I am a purist when it comes to my latkes; other vegetables don’t belong. I’ve seen recipes with the addition of carrots and zucchini and beets for goodness sake. They may make dinner a tiny bit healthier, but I can’t imagine they make it better. And anyway, if you want healthier, serve it with applesauce on the side.

Since I like classic latkes, I go with a tried and true recipe. My recipe is modified from the 1986 printing of The Joy of Cooking, which, I’ll have you know only mentions serving applesauce, not sour cream. Our other version of The Joy, from 1997, is more progressive. It recommends sour cream, yogurt cheese (strained, thickened yogurt), snipped fresh chives, or applesauce. I’m sticking with the applesauce.

makes about 12, 3-inch latkes, about 30 minutes

2 cups peeled, grated potatoes (about 2 medium to large potatoes)

2 Tbsp. unseasoned breadcrumbs or matzo meal

½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more for serving

½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. grated onion, or more to taste

2 to 3 eggs, depending on size

¼ inch vegetable oil

applesauce and/or sour cream for serving

1. Grate the potatoes using a box grater or the shredding blades of a food processor. Wrap them in a kitchen towel or cheese cloth and twist it over the sink to wring out as much water as possible. This will allow them to fry and become crispy, without steaming. Place the potatoes in a large bowl.
2. Stir in the breadcrumbs or matzo meal, salt, pepper, and grated onion.
3. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, then combine with the potato mixture.
4. Heat the oil on high in a large, heavy skillet, until a bit of the potato immediately sizzles. Stir the potato mixture in the bowl, and add heaping tablespoons full to the skillet flattening each with the back of the spoon into a pancake about 3 inches wide and ¼ inch thick. About 4 or 5 latkes will fit into a 10–inch skillet.
5. Cook until lightly browned, about 3 or 4 minutes, and flip using tongs. Cook until the other side is lightly browned, an additional few minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and immediately sprinkle with salt. (The cooling rack will keep the latkes more crisp and allow excess grease to drip, whereas the bottoms may steam if placed on a paper towel.)
6. Latkes are best served hot, immediately from the pan. However, if you need to wait until they are all cooked, place them on a cooling rack on a sheet pan in a 200 ^oF oven until ready to serve.
7. Serve hot, with applesauce (and/or sour cream) on the side.

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