Alan Bender and I (and our families) have been friends for more than 20 years now, he was the Chef at Feigels Deli in Johannesburg and has done every single function I have had, from my son’s Pidyon Haben almost 19 years ago, to his Barmitzvah and has contributed greatly to my daughters bat mitzvah’s the last one happening next year. He has taught me lots of tips and tricks.
He is now based in North Shore, St Ives, Australia. He is the owner of Soul Gourment https://soulgourmet.com.au/
LATKES
6 large potatoes peeled & left in water
1 large onion peeled
4 eggs
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup sugar (more or less)
½ to 1 cup flour /Potato flour/coconut flour
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
Oil for frying
Method
1: Fill a large pan fill 1/3 of the way with oil, heating to a medium temperature
2: Grate the potatoes & onion into a bowl & then add everything else. Fry a tablespoon of the mixture to test, and taste to see if there is enough sugar, salt & flour, and adjust accordingly. If the latke disintegrates, add a little more flour & if it is an oily, heavy lump, add a little more baking powder & up the heat of the oil.
3: Careful with the hot oil, treat it with respect, wear long sleeves, and always place the latke mixture in the pan carefully and remember to turn the latkes over away from you when one side is golden. Have a tray ready, lined with absorbent paper to suck up the surface oil, to receive the cooked latkes.
Cook’s Tips
When turning the latkes use a slotted spoon as it reduces the splash & helps the oil to drain.
Authors note: I have used sweet potatoes for this recipe and it was very nice.
You can use potato/coconut or other flour for gluten free