(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.)
1 pound baking potatoes (1-2 large), peeled
1 small onion or half a large onion, peeled
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
ground pepper, to taste
peanut oil, for frying
Shred the potato and onion with a box grater. Transfer to a colander or wrap in a cheesecloth sling (or paper towels, in a pinch), and squeeze as dry as possible.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, egg, salt and pepper together. If it doesn’t look wet enough, add more egg. Stir in the potato onion mixture until all pieces are evenly coated. If there is too much liquid in the bowl after everything has been mixed, drain it again.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil in a skillet (nonstick is fine) until shimmering. Drop a heaping spoonful of the potato mixture into the skillet and flatten them with the back of a spoon. Cook the latkes over moderately high heat until the edges are golden, about 1 1/2 minutes; flip and cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 1/2 minutes more. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as needed. Serve immediately, or keep warm in the oven.
These are amazing! The recipe makes enough for three to four people with self restraint, but really, who has self restraint when it comes to latkes? Jeff and I can eat this many on our own. Luckily, this recipe is easy to double or triple as needed.
The amount of onion may appear overwhelming at first, but it works.