why it works
- Wringing the grated sweet potatoes and onions through a kitchen towel dries the mixture and creates crunchy latkes.
- Increasing the onion-potato ratio increases the taste of normal potato latke.
Ask anyone who makes a latte what they think of their recipe (or your mom’s or grandma’s recipe) and most will tell you “it’s the best.” And they are right. I mean, we’re talking about fried potatoes here. So when I decided to make sweet potato latkes, I didn’t want a recipe that would compete with my traditional potato latkes. After all, that recipe is the best, so why mess with it?
I thought about what I like about lattes-apart from everything-And realized that grated onion, a supporting player in my regular recipe, would pair really well with the sweet potatoes. I wrote a note to increase onions. I also wanted the eggs to play a slightly more prominent role. I usually add just enough egg to hold the potatoes and onions together; For this recipe, I decided to add an extra egg or two.
But before I could decide how much onion and how many eggs to add, I took out my grater. As I started grating, I remembered what Ruth, the woman who taught me how to make latkes, once said. “The most important tools for making a latte are strong hands and a kitchen towel.” Ruth would grate her onions and potatoes and then aggressively wrap them in kitchen towels to squeeze out excess moisture. As she twisted the towel tightly, her hands became tense with the effort. Not only were his latkes nice and crunchy, but they were dry enough that they didn’t fall apart while frying.
After making sure my sweet potatoes and onions were as dry as possible, I sprinkled white rice flour, salt, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper over the mixture. Then, I added four beaten eggs. The mixture appeared loose compared to my regular latke recipe, but for egg latke, it seemed just right.
The latkes were fried well. And after a few minutes in the hot oil, I had delicious sweet potato latkes that were a far cry from my favorite recipe. After having a few lattes, I was convinced that this recipe was the one best recipe For sweet potato latkes. That’s when I knew I had found a recipe that I will be making for years to come.
November 2013
Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Latkes Recipe
cook mode
(keep screen awake)
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1 medium Onion (about 8 ounces; 227 grams), peeled
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1 pound (454 grams) sweet potatoespeeled (about 2 large sweet potatoes)
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1/2 cup white rice flour
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2 spoon diamond crystal kosher SaltFor table salt, use half the recommended amount
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1 small spoon recently ground black pepper
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3 Big eggsbeaten
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vegetable oilto fry
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sour cream and Applesauce for service
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Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 200°F (90°C). Grate the onion and sweet potatoes using a food processor with the medium grate of a medium grater, or on the large holes of a box grater. Mix in a medium bowl.
Serious Eats / Julia Estrada
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Place half of the onion and potato mixture on a clean kitchen towel. Wrap the towel around the mixture and squeeze the towel to remove excess moisture. Unwrap the towel and transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Repeat with remaining onions and potatoes.
Serious Eats / Julia Estrada
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In a small bowl, whisk together white rice flour, salt and pepper. Add to potato mixture and stir to combine. Add the eggs and stir to combine. Line a rimmed baking sheet with several layers of paper towels and place it near the stove but safely away from the burners. Heat 1/4 inch oil in 8-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Serious Eats / Julia Estrada
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Working in batches, drop potato mixture into hot oil in 1/4-cup increments. (The mixture should sizzle when it comes in contact with the oil.) Using two forks, flatten each latke slightly in the pan. (You roughly “pull” the flattening to flatten it.)
Serious Eats / Julia Estrada
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Fry until deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip with a pancake flipper or spatula and fry for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Place on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining latkes. Serve with sour cream and applesauce.
Serious Eats / Julia Estrada
special equipment
8 inch cast iron pan
notes
If you like your sweet potatoes a little sweeter, add a peeled, grated Granny Smith apple to the mix.
To ensure crispy latkes, do not fry more than three latkes at a time. This ensures that the oil does not cool. Cold oil equals smooth latte!
