A Giant Potato Latke

One easy-to-make giant potato skillet latke recipe, baked in the oven with a deliciously crispy crust and a plump, creamy interior of potato and onions that you’ll wanna enjoy all year long!

Better late than neveris what a I keep telling myself as I share a latke recipe on the very last day of Hanukkah. It’s a recipe of latke hacks. No shredding by hand, no squeezing moisture out with a towel, and no sweating of the stove for hours trying to flip those latkes over. Ya know ya want it, even if you’ll only be making it post Hanukkah…personally, I love latkes and am zero convinced that we shall only eat them 8 days a year.

This was my shoot from Hannukah 2018! Reshoot it this year.

Why this Recipe Works

• Shredding potatoes in a food processor saves time and creates large, firm shreds of potato, making a heftier latke with nice lacy edges.
• Squeezing excess moisture out with a salad spinner also saves time and elbow grease and helps produce extra crispy latkes. This hack will be a latke game changer for ya!
• Starting on the stove top, then moving to the oven and lastly the broiler means the latkes gets perfectly crispy on both sides without the hassle of flipping it over.
• Adding scallions and Parmesan to the latke batter adds flavor and texture.
• Frying in a cast iron pan results in a deeper, more burnished crust and requires less adjustment of the flame due to cast iron’s superior heat retention.

The 3 Main Elements of a Latke are: potato, onion and a binder.

For the potato: Russet is all ya need. They brown the best and produce tender interiors, cause of their high starch content

For the onions: we use yellow. They have some seriously funky allium flavor to jazz up the mild potatoes.

For the binder: we use eggs. They add wholesome flavor and fat and bind all the ingredients of different shapes and sizes together.

How to Make this Recipe:

• The potatoes and onions are shredded with the grating disk of a food processor.
• The potato and onions shreds are squeezed of excess moisture but drying in a salad spinner.
• The potato and onions are mixed with the rest of the ingredients, and the batter is poured onto shimmering oil in a cast iron skillet.
• The skillet is transferred to the oven and baked then finished under the broiler for a crispy, browned top.
• All sorts of toppings can be added and the latke is enjoyed.

Please enjoy these in process shots for easy cooking!

For some untraditional but very delicious topping ideas, check out my sumac yogurt with sautéed garlic and shredded parmesan... yum!

Cooks Tips

• It is crucial to squeeze out the excess moisture from the potatoes and onions to get crispy latkes.
• If you own a cast iron skillet, now is the time to use it! If you don’t, be sure to use a oven safe pan.
• Experiment with all sorts of sweet and savory toppings! 
• Sub full fat fat greek yogurt for the traditional sour cream. It's tastier and healthier!

Are the latke hacks a game changer for ya?! I’m drooling just thinking about these deeply browned crispy crusts!

Have ya tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with #wavesinthekitchen. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious food and all sorts of awesome adventures!

Let's make waves in the kitchen!

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

A Giant Potato Latke

One easy-to-make giant potato latke recipe, baked in the oven with a deliciously crispy crust and a plump, creamy interior of potato and onions that you’ll wanna enjoy all year long!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time18 mins

Total Time33 mins

Course: Appetizer, Entree, Side Dish

Cuisine: Californian

Servings: 8

Author: Daniela Gerson

Ingredients

• 2 russet potatoes about 1.5 pounds, peeled or unpeeled
• 1/2 white onion
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons matzo meal or unseasoned dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons green onions minced
• kosher salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Serving Ideas

• chives, scallions, greek yogurt, applesauce and more!

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 425 F degrees.
• Shred potatoes and onions with the grating disk of a food processor.
  
• Place potato and onions shreds in a salad spinner and spin the excess water out. Keep spinning away to dry out as much as possible.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, parmesan cheese, green onions, salt and pepper. Add potatoes and onion and stir to incorporate.
• Place a well-seasoned, 12-inch cast iron skillet over high heat and add olive oil.
• When the oil is shimmering, add the potato pancake batter and pat ir firmly into a single, even layer.
• Cook on the stovetop for 5-6 minutes, until the bottom is starting to brown and set.
• Transfer skillet to preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.
• When the pancake seems cooked through, switch to the broiler and cook until the top is quite brown and crunchy. Keep a close eye on it!
• Remove the pancake from the oven and let cool slightly. Top with sour cream, applesauce and/or chives. Can’t cut into wedges straight from skillet or by sliding pancake onto a cutting board. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

• It is crucial to squeeze out the excess moisture from the potatoes and onions to get crispy latkes.
• If you own a cast iron skillet, now is the time to use it! If you don’t, be sure to use a oven safe pan.