When Passover rolls around, it's time to get your box grater out and a batch of latkes on the stove (plus a slow-braised brisket in the oven.) Though latkes are commonly served with applesauce and plain sour cream, here, they get a flavor-boost with a spicy horseradish and chive sour cream topping, which adds savory depth to each bite.
Some latkes are too greasy or wilt when you pick them up. Not here. These are the crispiest latkes ever, thanks to the clever trick of wringing out the liquid in the potatoes and onions not once, but twice! Unlike a potato pancake—which should have a soft, creamy interior—latkes should be crispy all the way through. A key sign is that the edges have a deep brown color, and when you flip the latkes in the pan, they hold together. If you have a candy thermometer, it's worth hooking onto the side of your pot (or using it to take the oil temperature occasionally) to keep the oil at the right heat.
The best potato to use for latkes is a russet potato, which has a high starch content and a drier texture than waxy potatoes like Yukon gold. Latkes don't take very long to cook—around 5 minutes each—though you will cook them in batches. To serve them at once, you'll keep them warm in a low oven so that everyone can enjoy at once.
Step 1Preheat the oven to 300°. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, chives, and horseradish. Add extra horseradish to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Step 2On the large holes of a box grater, shred the potatoes and onion. Add the potatoes and onions to a strainer set over a large mixing bowl, and add the salt. Let the potato-onion mixture rest for 10 minutes, then ring out as much liquid as possible. Put the mixture in a clean dish towel and ring again to get them even drier.
Step 3In a separate large mixing bowl, add the eggs, matzo meal, and potato mixture. Combine thoroughly and add more matzo meal as needed to bind.
Step 4In a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until it reaches 325°. Scoop about ½ cup of mixture from the bowl, and add to the pan, flattening with a spatula. Repeat with another ½ cup scoop. Add as many latkes to the pan as you can, making sure they all have 1" around them to prevent any steaming. Cook, flipping once, until both sides have browned, about 2 minutes per side. If the latkes are burning reduce heat.
Step 5Transfer cooked latkes onto a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet, and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining latke mixture.
Step 6Serve with the horseradish chive sour cream, sprinkled with more chives and flaky sea salt, if you like.
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Natasha Feldman is a cooking instructor, private chef, recipe developer, host, and author of Dinner Party People, a Harper Collins book releasing Spring 2023. As a self-identified 34-year-old Jewish Grandmother - she loves to encourage people to have fun in the kitchen, to worry less about making mistakes or how your food looks, and worry more about whether you have sufficiently stuffed the faces of your friends and family and had a good time. Follow her on Instagram @noshwithtash.
