Instructions: Grate the potatoes and the onion (easiest in a food processor with a grating blade) Put into a tea towel and squeeze dry

Season quite well with salt and lots of pepper

Take a large tablespoon or so of the mixture and shallow fry in 1/2 inch oil until golden brown, flattening it a bit to form a sort of thick potato pancake about tablespoon size when you put it in the pan, and turn once so that both sides cook. Drain on absorbent paper, and keep warm in a low oven. Can re-heat in a microwave.

Good oil is the safest frying medium, but for true authenticity use goose fat (for a meat meal), Butter and oil mixed is also good for a dairy meal

(Kosher dietary laws rigidly separate meat and milk).

Some people add an egg to the mixture, and compensate for the additional liquid with flour or matzo meal. Personally I think this makes the texture insipid.

If you are feeling fancy, put some metal cookie cutters into the pan, and put the potato mixture into these, to get perfect circles.

If you make them thin you can call them galettes (but that is a different culture)

For a low fat version (shame!) mix 2 tbsp oil with the potato, and spread thin circles on baking parchment. Bake in hot oven turning once until crisp. Not authentic.

You will need to make lots. Seventeen Latkes is the most I have known anyone eat at one sitting...four or five is normal

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.