Potato latkes are surprisingly easy to make and are a major crowd-pleaser, especially when paired with sour cream or applesauce for serving.

Courtesy of Ric Orlando

8 medium-large russet potatoes, peeled
1–2 medium onions, peeled
2 tablespoons horseradish
3 eggs
About ¾ cup cornstarch or potato starch as needed (for gluten-free latkes) or matzoh meal
Salt and pepper to taste
Neutral-flavored oil like grapeseed, sunflower, or safflower oil

1. Take 6 of the potatoes and grate on the coarse side of a box grater or on the grater wheel with the larger holes of a food processor.
2. Grate the onions the same way.
3. Mix potatoes and onions together in a bowl. Using a mandolin or by hand, julienne the last two potatoes into thin strips. Add to the grated onions-potato mix. Then add the horseradish and season with salt and pepper to taste, leaning a bit towards salty.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and pour over the potato-onion mixture. Add the starch of choice and mix well.
5. Fill a large heavy skillet one half-inch deep with cooking oil and bring to a shimmer. Test for heat by dropping a small drop of the mix in the oil. If it sizzles, it’s ready.
6. Take a handful of mixture, about the size of a small tomato, in your hand. Toss it gently and carefully up and down like you’re a pitcher getting ready to pitch. After five or six tosses it will begin to get rounder and rounder. When it is round and tight, place it carefully in the oil. Repeat with a few more, being careful not to crowd the pan.
7. Allow the latkes to cook on one side, still round, until you notice that they are getting bronze around the edges, about 2–3 minutes. Using a spatula flip each latke and press them down until they are about ½–3/4 inch thick.
8. When the latkes are fully golden on each side, remove to a cookie sheet and keep them in a 300°F oven while you continue frying the rest of the mixture. If not serving right away, the latkes can be reheated in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes.

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