Steve’s Potato Latkes

• 5 lbs potatoes
• 5 medium yellow onions
• 2 heads garlic (12 oz) - peeled
• 6 jumbo eggs
• 1 Tbl sugar
• 1 cup matzo meal
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• peanut oil (for frying latkes)

Mix eggs and dry ingredients thoroughly in a very large mixing bowl.

Using a carrot scraper, peel the potatoes and hand-grate them using a grater with large (about ¼”) holes. As you grate each potato, mix the gratings into the eggs and dry ingredients in the large bowl. (Potato gratings tend to turn dark brown or black when they come into contact with air. The egg mixture reduces the gratings' air contact and keeps them from turning as dark.)

Grate the onions either by hand or using a food processor with a grating blade. Remove all large ungrated onion pieces from the grated onion and set aside. Add the grated onion to the bowl with the grated potatoes and mix thoroughly.

Separate and peel all the garlic cloves.

Add the garlic cloves, the ungrated onion pieces, and any remaining un-grated pieces of potato to the food processor and chop finely with the normal blade. When completely chopped, add the contents of the food processor to the rest of the ingredients in the large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.

Fry potato latke mixture in peanut oil over low to medium heat in small pans. Latkes should be about 5 to 6 inches in diameter and about 3/8” thick. Oil should completely cover the bottom of pan but not cover the top of the pancakes. Allow each pancake to cook until light brown and fairly stiff before turning over. Keep adding oil as need during cooking to keep oil at proper level.

NOTE: I find that it is best to turn the latkes over using two large flat spatulas, sliding one spatula under the latke and placing the second spatula over the top of the latke before flipping the latke. This avoids splashing the hot oil out of the pan and also keeps the latke from breaking apart.

When each latke is finished cooking, remove the latke from the oil, holding the latke vertically between the two spatulas allow most of the oil to drip back into the pan. Then place the cooked latke between paper towels to remove all the cooking oil before serving. (It is best to serve each latke immediately after cooking before they turn cold.)

Serve with sour cream and apple sauce mixed with brown sugar (see below).

NOTE: Some people prefer latkes with sour cream, some prefer apple sause, and some prefer a mixture of both. Serves 8 people.

Apple Sauce for Potato Latkes

• 1 46-oz jar Motts natural apple sauce
• 1 cups light brown sugar

Mix brown sugar into apple sauce. Chill and serve with latkes.