Latkes, potato pancakes, or however you say it—these crispy, golden bites of dopamine are the real star in the eyes of any kid during Hanukkah. In this vid, I’m diving into my favorite style of latkes, inspired by the legendary Manny’s Deli here in Chicago. I’ll show you what makes their potato pancakes so iconic and share my take on their thiccc, crispy perfection. Whether you’re team thick or thin, this recipe will change how you make them from here on out. Let. Us. Fry!
Full Recipe: https://www.adamwitt.co/allrecipes/z68a5tgnm8njf6j-hfxcw-k78ex-x49as-tc9dx-b8jff-f3mn6-e4t8a-l35wt-gwttg-l652p-5msm9-262fp-g3748-mccje-eclsj-nmajy-554gp-j2dpn-xjpty-bxxt6
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Ingredients:
8 large Russet Potatoes, peeled
3 large Yellow Onions, peeled and halved
4 Eggs
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Potato Starch
1 1/2 Tbsp Kosher Salt, more to taste
Black Pepper, to taste
Vegetable Oil for frying
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STUFF I USE…
12-inch Cast-iron: https://amzn.to/3PeKyz8
My Cookware Set: https://amzn.to/3vaWhbG
My Dutch Oven: https://amzn.to/48MKuhq
Portable Single-burner Stove: https://amzn.to/3IytyjV
Butane Torch: https://amzn.to/48TkQra
Deli Containers: https://amzn.to/49QO635
Large Mason Jars (32oz, wide mouth): https://amzn.to/49QO635
Rust-proof Mason Jar Lids: https://amzn.to/49QWlfy
Butane Canisters: https://amzn.to/3wLUtpM
Coarse Reinforced Strainer: https://amzn.to/3PePLHK
Fine Mesh Reinforced Strainer: https://amzn.to/3TxvkYP
Sheet Trays: https://amzn.to/3IG3zXL
The BEST Smash Burger Spatula: https://amzn.to/3UdSHab
Cutting Board Scraper: https://amzn.to/3Jy64fx
Ice Cream Maker: https://amzn.to/3wd2vIu
My Induction Burner: https://amzn.to/4dfhJNE
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TIMESTAMPS…
(0:00) Intro
(0:40) Manny’s Deli
(2:53) The Potatoes
(5:18) Assembly
(7:37) Frying
(9:35) Condiments
(10:18) Taste Test & Comparison
(12:31) Thanks for Watching!
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#PotatoPancakes #Latkes #MannysDeli #Chicago #JewishFood #Hanukkah #AppleSauce #Food #Cooking
50 Comments
Can I come over every time you cook??? 😆
Safe Journey!
Have a great day!!!
Lot keys
Going to make an indian version of this. We sort of have this in our culture already but this gave me ideas of how to improve them through texture and technique.
Adam, really nice video and method! It's been a minute since I've had a good Latke and I look forward to making these soon. I have a grinder, so I think I'll try it the Manny's way.
Laktes and Hanukkah: THE OIL THEY ARE FRIED IN!!!!! The oil when the Trmple was cleansed and redeciated lasted EIGHT days, remember? Also oil on the veg, fried chicken, Bismark donuts fried, fried honey balls…
Hand grating is best, i use a flat grater. The grater on a KitchenAid mixer also works better than a food processor.
As for flour, NO NO NO. Use matzo meal. I buy extra boxes of Streits matzo meal every Passover so that i have it all year round. Fry in chicken fat if you can get it, I haven't been able to buy chicken fat in years so i use avocado oil or corn oil but its definitely lacking when compared to chicken fat.
One more thing. Sweet potatos, especially Japanese sweet potatoes, make great latkes and they are healthier also.
Down South we would call those hash browns. I would want ketchup and hot sauce. No disrespect intended to our Jewish friends.
Adam- As a kid of 10, I used to help my Mom make latkas for Chanukah. I used a meat grinder screwed onto the side of a kitchen counter with a deep bowl placed on a bar stool under the grinder to make the potatoes & onions.
Mf just said crispy frisbo’s
I like my latkes with Apple Sauce and Black Pepper Ketchup.
And hell yeah Latkes should be available at Rosh HaShana, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Purim, Passover, Shavuot as well as Chanuka.
i miss Christkindlmarket so bad 🥺
My trick is to pour the liquid off from the water drained out of the shredded potato to get the pure potato starch that is left on the bottom. Then I mix that back into the potatoes and puree half of the shred for more fluffiness. Thanks for the vid!
Ketchup like you do with hash browns at Waffle House. You are so silly and Jewish. Also, you talk funny.
Hey, whats your story man? Id love to read it somewhere if you have it written down in a blog or something. Are you trained as a chef or are you a food enthusiast who took it to the next level? Either way man your content is always fire. I cant believe that you don't have a more mainstream form of youtube revenue to take it to the next level. (If you ever wanted to.) Either way as always keep it awesomesauce as you usually do. Edit: Spelling
This makes me soooo hungry just watching. 🤤
Sour cream 100%. Banger latkes… technique reminds me of Barney Greengrass in NYC
I like both sour cream and apple sauce on my latkes
Tangent. Best advice i ever got for making falafel was to use a meat grinder on the rehydrated chickpeas. Never looked back.
Happy Chanukah. I prefer a big shred and smaller size. But who's gonna complain? 🙂
Mazel tov and hallelujah!🌟
I prefer thinner latkes. The thing that worries me about the chunky boys is that the potato in the middle won't cook through. Nothing worse than biting into a potato pancake that's crunchy… on the inside!
To be iconic, someone else has to have heard of them, and then revere them.
the only thing worse than applesauce on a latke is ruining a delicious sour cream latke by having both applesauce AND sour cream
Latkes are served every Friday night at pretty much every Friday night fish fry in Wisconsin. Apple sauce included.
These latkes look absolutely incredible! Love how he digs into the history at Manny's and shows their unique meat grinder technique. Those massive, crispy potato pancakes with the spoon-created ridges are genius – definitely not your typical thin and wimpy latkes. The double-fry method is next level too. His simple homemade applesauce is such a nice touch, and that surf-wave of toppings at the end made me hungry. Totally agree these should be served year-round, not just at Hanukkah! Adding this recipe to my must-try list.
Hey man. Just (finally, and shamefully) coughed up my like and sub to you.
From the burbs of chitown but been in Phoenix for a couple decades
Love your vids. Been making your giardiniera for over a year… i think. Well… its been a while for sure.
This is the side that i will be putting next to my steak oscar ive got planned for new years eve.
Thanks for all you do.
I didn't know that Adam W was Jewish. Cool. Happy Hanukah
I like ketchup with tobacco mixed in it and a side of applesauce.
I'm not Jewish but my FAVORITE thing at any Jewish establishment is latkes, lox, red onions, capers, and cream cheese! Oh and typically the free pickles that I've gotten at some places as well.
I’ve never had success with thick ones like these but I do agree with the multi liquid squeeze effort. I usually also serve mine with smoked salmon , dill and sesame seeds plus chives / green onion but I am a Jewish mama over here. If we don’t have salmons and dill is it really a holiday?
You haven’t made latkes, you’ve made potato muffins!
Manny’s latkes are quite a bit more yellow on the inside. Do you have any ideas on why that is? I’m guessing it’s either due to them using turmeric or more egg yolks than you did. Please let me know if you have any ideas on this conundrum. Cool video, Adam!!!
My mother has Danish/Polish background and she made her potato pancakes flat like a crepe, cooked in Crisco shortening. I don't use Crisco as I can do unhealthy without intentionally adding vegetable shortening. I have tried a few times to make them but it didn't turn out like mom's. Love your recipe and directions. Definitely sour cream over apple sauce. but I think they are best with just a bit of butter 'smeared' over top.
My moms side is straight up Polish, and we used to have latkes all the time. Love em… Merry Belated Christmas, dude!
love the ones we have been making for generations. biggest difference is that the potatoes need to be grated on the smallest side of the grater. it looks more like actual pancake batter. then they are cooked super thin. a normal serving for me is around 20 of them
If I need to make them gluten free can I just use more potato starch? Thanks!
Thank you so much for this amazing video! Could you help me with something unrelated: I have a SafePal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). What's the best way to send them to Binance?
I have never heard latkes pronounced that way. Interesting !
happy Hanukah adam 🙂
“If there’s one thing we Jews accelerate at”?
Excel, dude. Excel.
What do you do with the oil after frying. Seems be a waste to just dump.How do you dispose of it?
Manny’s was epic when I was a kid
Now we're talking!!
Instead of putting on potato starch and throwing out all that potato water, wait 5 min and spill out the water and you have all that starch from the potato's hardened at the bottom!!
It's not Latkee, it's Latka 😅
I soak my potatoes in lemon water. Salt pepper two eggs matzah meal and self rising flour. We prefer thin and crispy
I like sour cream the mores.
Happy hannukah brother
Adam, non passover matzoh ball soup is called Friday night chicken soup with knaidel balls 😎