[senior citizen]

Potato Pancakes & Latkes with tried & true recipes from Ukrainians, Polish & Jewish family/friends.

My Ukrainian mother & her own mom made the Ukrainian version which isn't very different than my Polish mother in law's version.

They made them often during Lent.......prior to Easter feasting.

The Jewish versions can be similar to those named above, or of the more "lacy" variety like my friend made (last recipe below).

These potato pancakes/latkes were traditionally served for our meatless Fridays.......or on our Jewish friends' Hanukkah.

GREAT anytime. Very inexpensive to make. Nostalgic to
eat/enjoy.

Deruny - Ukrainian Potato Pancakes (Деруни)


As children we ate these with applesauce.....which I also served to my own family.


However I love them with a dollop of sour cream myself.


Serving: 6-8


Ingredients
5 medium size potatoes
1 onion
1 egg
3 Tbsp of all purpose flour
1 Tbsp of sour cream to mix in.
1 tsp of salt and pepper to taste
Cooking oil
Instructions


Prep all the ingredients:
Peel potatoes and onion:


Take big bowl, grate potatoes and onion (on the grater), taking turns and mixing grated mixture. Onion juice will keep potatoes from browning.


Add flour, egg, sour cream and mix it well, than add 1 tsp of salt and some black pepper, batter should be still liquid enough so you can easily ladle it.


Warm up a skillet with 2-3 Tbsp of cooking oil over medium/high heat.


Add 1 heaping Tbsp of mixture at a time to the skillet fry on one side until golden brown in color, then flip to other side and fry for the same amount of time.


Repeat the same procedure for the rest of the batter.


************************************************** *****************************


POLISH POTATO PANCAKES (placki ziemniaczane)


As my mother in law made..........very similar to the Ukrainian ones that my mom & grandmother made for "meatless days".


Ingredients
6 medium peeled and finely grated potatoes


1 medium finely grated onion


2 large eggs


Salt and pepper


About 1/4 cup all-purpose flour


Yield: 6 servings Potato Pancakes


Mix potatoes, onion, eggs, and salt and pepper.


Add enough flour to bind the mixture together.

In a large, heavy skillet set over medium-high heat, add enough vegetable oil to come to a depth of 1/4 inch.


Heat until hot, but not smoking.


Drop table spoonfuls of potato mixture into skillet and spread out to a 3-inch circle, about 1/4-inch thick.


Fry until brown on the bottom (don't turn until the pancake is brown or it will stick), about 3 to 5 minutes, reducing the heat to medium, if needed, to prevent burning.


Turn the pancake and fry the other side 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.


Drain on paper towels.


Serve with sour cream.
************************************************** *************************
Hanukkah Latkes - Potato Pancakes


Fried food is traditionally eaten on Hanukkah in commemoration of the oil that miraculously burned for eight days when the Maccabees purified and rededicated the holy Temple in Jerusalem. Fried Potato Pancakes (called Latkes in Yiddish and Levivot in Hebrew) are the holiday favorite.


Ingredients




5 potatoes
2 onions
3 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
between 1/4 to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
oil for frying (canola is recommended)
Preparation




1. Peel potatoes. Place in a bowl of cold water so they won’t turn brown.


2. When ready to prepare the latkes, drain the potatoes. Place potatoes and onions in a food processor fitted with a knife blade. Pulse until smooth. Drain mixture well.


3. Pour potato mixture into a large bowl. Add beaten eggs. Add salt and pepper. Add enough flour so that the mixture holds together.


4. Pour 1 inch of oil into a large, deep frying pan. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.


5. Carefully drop 1/4 cup of the potato mixture into the hot oil.


6. Flatten the pancake slightly so the center will cook.


7. Fry for several minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.


8. Drain on paper towels.

Serving Suggestion: Serve the latkes with applesauce.

Yields: approximately 20 pancakes


************************************************** ******************************


POLISH JEWISH LATKES:


This recipe for Latkes remind me of the ones my Jewish friend makes........they are more on the light and "lacy" side........she never had an exact recipe. I found this one.


The latkes, made with simple basic ingredients, are crunchy, light and taste like they did in the old country..........so I am told.........old country being POLAND.


Ingredients




4 medium Idaho potatoes 6 tablespoons canola oil or olive oil
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons matzoh meal (or corn meal)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
Applesauce or sour cream (optional)


Preparation




1. Prepare a large bowl filled with cold water.

2. Peel potatoes, and as you finish each, place in cold water to prevent browning.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

4. Cut potatoes lengthwise into halves or quarters so they fit into food processor feed tube. Process potatoes using the blade that creates thin, shoestring-like strips and transfer to a large bowl.

5. Add eggs, matzoh meal, salt and pepper and mix well.

6. Drop 6 to 8 spoonfuls of mixture into hot oil. Using the back of a spoon, pat down each latke to flatten it. Put as many as you can in the skillet without crowding. Putting them too close together will make them soggy.

7. Fry 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp around the edges; repeat procedure until finished with all the batter.

8. Blot excess oil with paper towels.

9. Serve warm with applesauce or sour cream, if desired.

TIP: Corn meal is a great substitute for matzoh meal and will also make your latkes nice and crispy.

YIELD: 8 servings



　


　


　


　


　


　


　


　

[tomwed]

Originally Posted by senior citizen

Potato Pancakes & Latkes with tried & true recipes from Ukrainians, Polish & Jewish family/friends.

My Ukrainian mother & her own mom made the Ukrainian version which isn't very different than my Polish mother in law's version.

They made them often during Lent.......prior to Easter feasting.

The Jewish versions can be similar to those named above, or of the more "lacy" variety like my friend made (last recipe below).

These potato pancakes/latkes were traditionally served for our meatless Fridays.......or on our Jewish friends' Hanukkah.

GREAT anytime. Very inexpensive to make. Nostalgic to
eat/enjoy.

Deruny - Ukrainian Potato Pancakes (Деруни)


As children we ate these with applesauce.....which I also served to my own family.


However I love them with a dollop of sour cream myself.


Serving: 6-8


Ingredients
5 medium size potatoes
1 onion
1 egg
3 Tbsp of all purpose flour
1 Tbsp of sour cream to mix in.
1 tsp of salt and pepper to taste
Cooking oil
Instructions


Prep all the ingredients:
Peel potatoes and onion:


Take big bowl, grate potatoes and onion (on the grater), taking turns and mixing grated mixture. Onion juice will keep potatoes from browning.


Add flour, egg, sour cream and mix it well, than add 1 tsp of salt and some black pepper, batter should be still liquid enough so you can easily ladle it.


Warm up a skillet with 2-3 Tbsp of cooking oil over medium/high heat.


Add 1 heaping Tbsp of mixture at a time to the skillet fry on one side until golden brown in color, then flip to other side and fry for the same amount of time.


Repeat the same procedure for the rest of the batter.


************************************************** *****************************


POLISH POTATO PANCAKES (placki ziemniaczane)


As my mother in law made..........very similar to the Ukrainian ones that my mom & grandmother made for "meatless days".


Ingredients
6 medium peeled and finely grated potatoes


1 medium finely grated onion


2 large eggs


Salt and pepper


About 1/4 cup all-purpose flour


Yield: 6 servings Potato Pancakes


Mix potatoes, onion, eggs, and salt and pepper.


Add enough flour to bind the mixture together.

In a large, heavy skillet set over medium-high heat, add enough vegetable oil to come to a depth of 1/4 inch.


Heat until hot, but not smoking.


Drop table spoonfuls of potato mixture into skillet and spread out to a 3-inch circle, about 1/4-inch thick.


Fry until brown on the bottom (don't turn until the pancake is brown or it will stick), about 3 to 5 minutes, reducing the heat to medium, if needed, to prevent burning.


Turn the pancake and fry the other side 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.


Drain on paper towels.


Serve with sour cream.
************************************************** *************************
Hanukkah Latkes - Potato Pancakes


Fried food is traditionally eaten on Hanukkah in commemoration of the oil that miraculously burned for eight days when the Maccabees purified and rededicated the holy Temple in Jerusalem. Fried Potato Pancakes (called Latkes in Yiddish and Levivot in Hebrew) are the holiday favorite.


Ingredients




5 potatoes
2 onions
3 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
between 1/4 to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
oil for frying (canola is recommended)
Preparation




1. Peel potatoes. Place in a bowl of cold water so they won’t turn brown.


2. When ready to prepare the latkes, drain the potatoes. Place potatoes and onions in a food processor fitted with a knife blade. Pulse until smooth. Drain mixture well.


3. Pour potato mixture into a large bowl. Add beaten eggs. Add salt and pepper. Add enough flour so that the mixture holds together.


4. Pour 1 inch of oil into a large, deep frying pan. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.


5. Carefully drop 1/4 cup of the potato mixture into the hot oil.


6. Flatten the pancake slightly so the center will cook.


7. Fry for several minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.


8. Drain on paper towels.

Serving Suggestion: Serve the latkes with applesauce.

Yields: approximately 20 pancakes


************************************************** ******************************


POLISH JEWISH LATKES:


This recipe for Latkes remind me of the ones my Jewish friend makes........they are more on the light and "lacy" side........she never had an exact recipe. I found this one.


The latkes, made with simple basic ingredients, are crunchy, light and taste like they did in the old country..........so I am told.........old country being POLAND.


Ingredients




4 medium Idaho potatoes 6 tablespoons canola oil or olive oil
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons matzoh meal (or corn meal)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
Applesauce or sour cream (optional)


Preparation




1. Prepare a large bowl filled with cold water.

2. Peel potatoes, and as you finish each, place in cold water to prevent browning.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

4. Cut potatoes lengthwise into halves or quarters so they fit into food processor feed tube. Process potatoes using the blade that creates thin, shoestring-like strips and transfer to a large bowl.

5. Add eggs, matzoh meal, salt and pepper and mix well.

6. Drop 6 to 8 spoonfuls of mixture into hot oil. Using the back of a spoon, pat down each latke to flatten it. Put as many as you can in the skillet without crowding. Putting them too close together will make them soggy.

7. Fry 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp around the edges; repeat procedure until finished with all the batter.

8. Blot excess oil with paper towels.

9. Serve warm with applesauce or sour cream, if desired.

TIP: Corn meal is a great substitute for matzoh meal and will also make your latkes nice and crispy.

YIELD: 8 servings
　

Who knew?

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by tomwed

Who knew?

Now you know. Basically they are all very similar.

[newguyintv]

Anyone who would shred potatoes in a food processor has never had proper potato latkes. The only way to do it is by grating on a flat (square wire) grater. Oh, by the way, you also must strain the potatoes after grating them to eliminate lots of excess water. Nice recipe though for the uninitiated!

[tomwed]

////////////////////////////
thank you for the recipes
i love latkes and all it's variations
who knew? is an old one liner from the ed sullivan days of borscht belt comedians not meant to hurt anyone
i'm dating myself

[BarryRX]

Thank you so much for posting these recipes.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by newguyintv

Anyone who would shred potatoes in a food processor has never had proper potato latkes. The only way to do it is by grating on a flat (square wire) grater. Oh, by the way, you also must strain the potatoes after grating them to eliminate lots of excess water. Nice recipe though for the uninitiated!

Always have used a plain old flat grater......I don't even own a food processor.......but that's the way the recipe was given to me.

Making any of these potato pancakes is a chore, with scraped skin during the grating process.......but worth it. You are correct re eliminating the excess fluid.

[senior citizen]

...

Originally Posted by BarryRX

Thank you so much for posting these recipes.

You are very welcome ! We grew up on the potato pancakes; then I made them for my own children.

However, once I enjoyed my Jewish friend/neighbor's "latkes" I was hooked on them as they were lacier & crispier.......plus she made them as "mini" latkes for her Hanukkah parties......constantly frying them up & replenishing the platter all through the evening.....they disappeared as quickly as she put them out......like magic.

So glad she moved to Vermont (via Brooklyn, Long Island, Lansing Michigan) & bought the home we sold to them when we moved to Florida in 1972. When we returned a year later, in 1973, we bought a home right across the street from them !

Great neighbors; great cook. All of her Polish Jewish cooking was very similar to that of my Ukrainian grandmother & mother plus my Polish mother in law's cooking..........nothing like the OLD ETHNIC RECIPES.

[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by BarryRX

Thank you so much for posting these recipes.

Originally Posted by senior citizen

...


You are very welcome ! We grew up on the potato pancakes; then I made them for my own children.

However, once I enjoyed my Jewish friend/neighbor's "latkes" I was hooked on them as they were lacier & crispier.......plus she made them as "mini" latkes for her Hanukkah parties......constantly frying them up & replenishing the platter all through the evening.....they disappeared as quickly as she put them out......like magic.

So glad she moved to Vermont (via Brooklyn, Long Island, Lansing Michigan) & bought the home we sold to them when we moved to Florida in 1972. When we returned a year later, in 1973, we bought a home right across the street from them !

Great neighbors; great cook. All of her Polish Jewish cooking was very similar to that of my Ukrainian grandmother & mother plus my Polish mother in law's cooking..........nothing like the OLD ETHNIC RECIPES.

Your recipes left out the most important thing in making potato pancakes.
Before mixing everything together, the potatoes MUST be squeezed dry in a towel, until there is no excess water left in them.
Another poster mentioned this.

Also, never use olive oil to fry them. Olive oil cannot take a high heat.
In addition, 6 tablespoons of oil is not nearly enough.

Another problem. You never use corn meal to make latkes.

Lastly, "fried" food is not traditionally eaten on Chanukah!

I suggest to readers that they look up traditional recipes on the Internet or in a "good" cookbook, and not follow those above.
I don't know how many other errors there are in the recipes,
but it would be a shame to waste the ingredients.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by Bonanza

Your recipes left out the most important thing in making potato pancakes.
Before mixing everything together, the potatoes MUST be squeezed dry in a towel, until there is no excess water left in them.
Another poster mentioned this.

Also, never use olive oil to fry them. Olive oil cannot take a high heat.
In addition, 6 tablespoons of oil is not nearly enough.

Another problem. You never use corn meal to make latkes.

Lastly, "fried" food is not traditionally eaten on Chanukah!

I suggest to readers that they look up traditional recipes on the Internet or in a "good" cookbook, and not follow those above.
I don't know how many other errors there are in the recipes,
but it would be a shame to waste the ingredients.

Mostly everyone would realize that the people who remember these humble potato pancake versions have ancestors that came to America from many different Slavic countries.......plus Germany, etc., etc., etc.


Each region used different ingredients, unique to their particular country/area/family recipe.......mostly just put together from memory.


In this country, we choose to "fry" in whatever we think is healthier........even though frying has not been a popular method of cooking for quite a long time now.


Believe it or not.........in the old country, plus with the immigrants of the late 1800's / early 1900's THEY USED LARD.


Now, if I put that into a recipe...........you would no doubt complain about that.


I only have olive oil. Some use canola oil. Some people years ago would even save up their BACON GREASE to fry up various foods.


I think any good cook out there, can "tweak" any recipe to use whatever they desire in place of an ingredient not to their liking.


In Italy, which you also have a problem with the Italians it seems........the different regions prepare their foods totally differently.........so yes, no matter if it is SLAVIC ORIGIN or ITALIAN ORIGIN , the "stuff" used will vary. Common sense to me.


Why not share your recipe. Variety is the spice of life.


p.s. The Jewish friends we have do make latkes for all of their holidays..........after all, this is 2015.


Just like I never made octopus for my family, but my Italian grandma did. I still remember it in the jars. Someone must have imported it or brought it on one of their trips back from Italy.........scared the hell out of me.

[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by senior citizen

Mostly everyone would realize that the people who remember these humble potato pancake versions have ancestors that came to America from many different Slavic countries.......plus Germany, etc., etc., etc.

Each region used different ingredients, unique to their particular country/area/family recipe.......mostly just put together from memory this country, we choose to "fry" in whatever we think is healthier........even though frying has not been a popular method of cooking for quite a long time now.
Believe it or not.........in the old country, plus with the immigrants of the late 1800's / early 1900's THEY USED LARD.
Now, if I put that into a recipe...........you would no doubt complain about that.
I only have olive oil. Some use canola oil. Some people years ago would even save up their BACON GREASE to fry up various foods.[/SIZE ]I think any good cook out there, can "tweak" any recipe to use whatever they desire in place of an ingredient not to their liking.

]In Italy, which you also have a problem with the Italians it seems........the different regions prepare their foods totally differently.........so yes, no matter if it is SLAVIC ORIGIN or ITALIAN ORIGIN , the "stuff" used will vary. Common sense to me.

Why not share your recipe. Variety is the spice of life.
p.s. The Jewish friends we have do make latkes for all of their holidays..........after all, this is 2015.

Just like I never made octopus for my family, but my Italian grandma did. I still remember it in the jars. Someone must have imported it or brought it on one of their trips back from Italy.........scared the hell out of me.

Well, I'm not exactly eating humble pie. Those who came to this country did have slight variations in their potato pancakes or latkes, but corn meal was not and is not one of the variations in latkes.

Fried foods have never gone out of style and are still a very popular method of cooking. When Americans think about frying
something, "healthier" is not a term that enters into anyone's mind. Lard is seldom used today but is known best for its use in many desserts. You can get a delicious "short" pastry for desserts using lard. Your comment to me regarding lard is unnecessary.

Yes, most good cooks can and often do tweak a recipe. But your neglect to not mention to squeeze excess water from the potatoes is a gigantic error. Without doing that potato pancakes would be a disaster!

I will cover Italian things in your other thread. Peppers and eggs don't go particularly well with potato pancakes. Also, I don't post recipes. There are enough incredible recipes in cookbooks and on the Internet and we don't really need them on this forum, especially when a key factor is omitted.

Latkes are not only made for holidays. They are made all year long and go particularly well with a pot roast or brisket.

What's with octopus in your post? Where did that come from? Wierd.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by Bonanza

Well, I'm not exactly eating humble pie. Those who came to this country did have slight variations in their potato pancakes or latkes, but corn meal was not and is not one of the variations in latkes.

Fried foods have never gone out of style and are still a very popular method of cooking. When Americans think about frying
something, "healthier" is not a term that enters into anyone's mind. Lard is seldom used today but is known best for its use in many desserts. You can get a delicious "short" pastry for desserts using lard. Your comment to me regarding lard is unnecessary.

Yes, most good cooks can and often do tweak a recipe. But your neglect to not mention to squeeze excess water from the potatoes is a gigantic error. Without doing that potato pancakes would be a disaster!

I will cover Italian things in your other thread. Peppers and eggs don't go particularly well with potato pancakes. Also, I don't post recipes. There are enough incredible recipes in cookbooks and on the Internet and we don't really need them on this forum, especially when a key factor is omitted.

Latkes are not only made for holidays. They are made all year long and go particularly well with a pot roast or brisket.

What's with octopus in your post? Where did that come from? Wierd.

P E A C E

NOT KNOWING YOUR OWN CONNECTION TO LARD, I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I POSSIBLY COULD HAVE INTENTIONALLY OFFENDED YOU.

My generation & your generation may not be the same era........or location; we may not come from the same ethnic backgrounds or understanding thereof.

There might be regional differences......see my story below re the tomato soup.

My reality & my memories may not be your reality nor your memories.

I was raised in a multi cultural neighborhood (long before the term multi cultural was coined by our adult kids' generation).

In the 1950's I saw the cooking of my own Italian & Ukrainian parents, plus that of my Irish, German, Polish, English, Italian, Russian, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Portuguese little girl friends ..........plus my Italian grandma & Italian aunts.....lots of them over in New York City.

My mother & father used his tradition of sauteing everything in olive oil which he bought in large gallon cans. Ditto for other Italians named above. Olive oil is now considered heart healthy.

My husband remembers his Polish mom using lard & bacon fat, kept in a jar on the stove !!!!!!!! God bless her heart & God rest her soul, but I still cringe at that. However, my best friends' Hungarian & German moms both used bacon fat in their green beans, etc., etc.

As per nowadays, it is a very very very long time since the 1950's era....

People have tweaked their family recipes, using what they prefer nowadays.........my Jewish friends who might have put a pinch or whatever of corn meal instead of matzo meal.....were well read & great cooks, but very multi cultural........one lady would happily take my "ham bone" to put into her home made pea soup the next day, even though her husband would not approve of that........but she thought it just "tasted better" with the marrow from the ham bone. I agree. But, it was a "hoot" to see her put the ham bone in her big purse/satchel.

NOTHING REMAINS THE SAME. NOTHING IS CAST IN STONE.

REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN COOKING ABIDE.

TIMES CHANGE, OR PEOPLE USE WHAT THEY HAVE AVAILABLE.

My own Ukrainian mother used ground beef with white rice & crushed tomatoes to make her Gawumpki/Golapki/Holupsti (stuffed cabbage) while my Polish mother in law used ground pork, white rice & tomato soup as the sauce part as did her mom. It was yummy nevertheless. (That was probably all she could find on the shelves when she came to this country......meaning my husband's Polish grandmother & the tomato soup........as she could not read English.)

This would be the same woman who taught her daughter (my m.i.l.) to save the pork fat & bacon fat......waste not, want not.

I just looked up LARD for my own knowledge, since I have never cooked with lard, nor did my parents.........just olive oil.

“”Lard is pig fat in both its rendered and unrendered forms. Lard was commonly used in many cuisines as a cooking fat or shortening. ""

""Well rendered lard is from pork fatback.””

“”While cooking with bacon fat may sound like something only housewives did in the 1950s, rest assured that there are lots of fantastic ways to use bacon fat in contemporary cooking. First, you must collect and store the bacon fat properly.””

“””””Start by cooking some bacon. I know, such a chore. Now you have a whole bunch of cooked bacon to eat and cook with, too!

Let the bacon grease cool until it has just started to thicken, which means it is safe to pour.

Strain the bacon fat through a sieve lined with cheese cloth. This will keep out any stray bits of meat that will cause the fat to go rancid too soon.

Store the bacon fat in a glass jar covered with plastic wrap. You can keep it in the fridge for a few weeks, or longer in the freezer.”””””””
************************************************** *******

THIS LARD CONTROVERSY.......REMINDS ME OF WHEN WE WERE NEW IN VERMONT IN THE EARLY 1970'S.......

I WAS INVITED TO A FRIEND'S COUSIN'S BABY SHOWER "OUT IN THE COUNTRY"..........I WAS TOLD THAT SHE HAD BEEN TAKING CAKE DECORATING CLASSES & TO EXPECT A GREAT CAKE......

The cake was GORGEOUS. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

After gifts, luncheon, etc..........they cut the cake.
GAVE ME A HUGE SLICE.
I took a bite...........total CRISCO. SHE FORGOT TO PUT THE SUGAR IN.

But, she was great at decorating.

Whenever I used to make buttercream icing for cakes.........I used PURE BUTTER.

Have never even bought Crisco....

But it was a "hello" to Vermont. Vive la difference. PEACE.