Arts ag Life
Food
Latke Palooza
A holiday latke-making party gets all the work
done in one happy gathering.
ANDREA GAP PELL
Special to the Jewish News
C
hanukah has always been cel-
ebrated with gusto in my
family. Even back in the day
when my brother and I fought over
who would light the candles, food
always took center stage. We nibbled
on homemade dreidel cookies with
sugar sprinkles, devoured bags of
chocolate gelt, and ate crispy, golden
potato latkes to our hearts' content.
When I grew up, I started a new
tradition: Latke Palooza. Grubby
clothes are donned and heads are
covered in kerchiefs. The guest list is
limited to family.
Two huge, restaurant-supply pans
are pulled out of storage, filled with
oil and set on the range to heat up
to just the right temperature. Slotted
spoons are poised to dip into the
first batch of latke mixture. Spatulas
are at the ready for latke flipping.
A Chinese, wire-mesh scoop is
propped and ready to remove stray
potato fritters from the hot oil.
Paper-towel lined baking sheets
await the finished product. Festive,
latke-making music is cued up.
Excitement is in the air, as the oil
heats up.
Each person mans his or her sta-
tion. My mother is in charge of
potato shredding and mixing up the
batches; one batch at a time to
ensure maximum freshness. She also
zealously maintains kitchen cleanli-
ness, keeping everyone on their toes.
My father takes his place at the
stove. I run interference, while at the
same time manning frying pan num-
ber two.
12/ 3
2004
68
The first batch is a bust, just
like when you make regular
pancakes. The oil is too hot, or it's
not hot enough. We're just warming
up. We do some quality control,
otherwise known as taste-testing,
and then my father and I yell over
the whir of exhaust fans and sizzling
oil to my mother at the mixing sta-
tion.
"Throw an extra handful of
matzah meal into the next batch," I
say. "Needs more onion," says my
father.
Batch after batch we fry, until sev-
eral hours later we emerge from the
kitchen, hot, reeking of oil and sated
from all of the taste testing. We have
gone through 20 pounds of potatoes,
8 pounds of onions, 2 dozen eggs,
one and a quarter gallons of oil and
one box of matzah meal. No potato
has been left ungrated.
Part of our secret, latke-making
technique involves flash-freezing the
cooked latkes. The latkes can then
be heated up in a hot oven (no
microwaves, please) to be enjoyed
throughout Chanukah. This may
sound like blasphemy to those fami-
lies who believe that half the fun is
standing over a splattering pan of oil
and producing platter after platter of
greasy latkes for the waiting hordes.
Fun for the latke eaters perhaps, but
not for the cook!
Latkes crisping in the oven provide
the same mouth-watering aroma as
those coming hot out of the frying
pan, with the bonus being that you
actually get to enjoy the festivities.
Admit it latke fryers, when was the
last time you got to sit on the floor
and enjoy a spirited game of dreidel?
Our latke production fuels several
parties. My parents host a formal
dinner party for their closest friends.
We have a casual pre-Chanukah
party with all the cousins.
I host my own Chanukah party,
every year inviting a growing num-
ber of latke aficionados who make a
major dent in the Latke Palooza out-
put. With the latkes already made,
my biggest concern is peeling gold
foil off Chanukah gelt and visiting
with my friends.
POTATO LATKES
2 1/2 lbs. baking potatoes, cleaned
but not peeled.
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablet vitamin C, crushed and
mixed with 3 T. water
3-4 T. matzah meal or flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. salt
3 large eggs, beaten
vegetable oil, for frying
In a large skillet, heat 1/2-inch oil
over medium-high heat.
Grate the potatoes either by hand
or using a food processor. Grate only
enough potatoes for one batch. If
using a food processor, shred the
potatoes using the grating disk.
Remove grated potatoes from
processor bowl and replace the grat-
ing disk with a chopping blade.
Return 1/2 batch of shredded pota-
toes to the processor, pulsing quickly
4-5 times to chop up the shreds
slightly. Repeat with other half.
Put the grated potatoes in a large
mixing bowl and quickly toss with
the vitamin C water. The ascorbic
acid in the vitamin C will help pre-
vent the potatoes from blackening.
Add the chopped onion, matzah
meal or flour, baking powder, salt
and beaten eggs, and stir to incorpo-
rate all ingredients.
Using a large spoon, gather up 2
heaping tablespoons of mixture,
pushing out most of the liquid. Slide
off spoon into the oil, flattening the
top of each pancake with the back of
the spoon.
Fry until golden on each side and
drain in a single layer on baking
sheets lined with paper towels.
Keep warm in a 250F oven until
ready to serve.
Or, when latkes are cool, freeze in
a single layer on baking sheets. After
the latkes are frozen, you may stack
them in a container or put them in
freezer bags.
When ready to serve, preheat the
oven to . 450F. Place frozen latkes in
a single layer on baking sheets. Heat
in the oven for approximately 10
minutes, or until sizzling and lightly
browned.
Place latkes on serving platter and
enjoy the party!
Latke Palooza Shopping List: 20
lbs. of potatoes, 8 lbs. of onion, 10
tablets vitamin C dissolved in 1 1/2
cups water, 1 box matzah meal, or
flour, baking powder, salt, 2 dozen
eggs, 1 1/2 gallons vegetable oil.
Latke Palooza Recommendations:
Enlist a helper or two. Don't attempt
to make this many latkes at once
unless you have a food processor.
Prepare all of your ingredients,
except the potatoes, before starting.
Chop onions — start with 5 lbs.
and chop more if needed, later. Beat
all of the eggs — use a one-cup
measuring cup, scooping up one
scant cup of beaten eggs for each
batch.
Pour the matzah meal or flour into
a bowl for easy scooping. Do the
same with the baking powder and
salt.
Don't be afraid to make adjust-
ments as needed. You might like less
onion.
Make only one batch at a time,
discarding the startchy water left in
the bowl after each batch. Makes 8
batches; 200-240 latkes. fl
Andrea Gappell is a freelance writer
and food stylist in Los Angeles.