When it comes to latkes, I am a traditionalist. I can't seem to go for veggie-laden twists using zucchinis or sweet potatoes, adding spices like curry, or even gluten-free latkes. I want mine pure and simple, and fried in lots of oil. So when I was assigned the task of making latkes for our family Hanukkah party this year, I knew exactly which recipe to turn to. My favourite traditional latke recipe is pretty darned simple. You just need to bear the, mess, oil-splattered kitchen, grease-scented home and oil-slicked skin–especially when making latkes for a crowd. But it's all worth it! 5-Ingredient Latkes [caption id="attachment_3162" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="5-Ingredient Latkes"] [/caption] Ingredients: 1.Potatoes - I like Yukon gold. 2.Onions - Cooking onions do fine. 3.Flour - All-purpose please 4.Salt - Kosher (of course) 5.Eggs - Large And canola or vegetable oil for frying (not counting this as an ingredient!) Preparation STEP 1: Grate 4 potatoes and 1 onion with coarse grater blade on your processor. (Many purists swear to grating by hand, but I've had too many bloody knuckles) [caption id="attachment_3168" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Grate 4 potatoes and 1 onion "] [/caption] STEP 2: In colander, squeeze as much moisture out of the potatoes as possible, but don't rinse. (Some people swear by rinsing the grated potatoes to keep them white, but then you rinse away all the potato starch that helps the shredded potato stick together.) STEP 3. Transfer potato and onion mixture to a large bowl. Using a fork, mix in 1 egg, 2 tbsp of all- purpose flour and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. [caption id="attachment_3169" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Mix ingredients with a fork"] [/caption] STEP 4: On medium heat, heat oil about 1 cm deep in a large frying pan (we use an electric frying pan to get more latkes in the pan at once). Drop mixture by spoonfuls into the hot oil. (Make sure the oil is hot enough, it should bubble around the latke). [caption id="attachment_3170" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil"] [/caption] Use a fork to spread out the mixture for lacy, crispy latkes. [caption id="attachment_3173" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Spread mixture with fork"] [/caption] STEP 5: Fry latkes 3 to 4 minutes per side. Turn using a lifter and a spoon, or an offset spatula to avoid splattering. [caption id="attachment_3180" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Frying latkes in hot oil "] [/caption] [caption id="attachment_3176" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Golden and lacy"] [/caption] STEP 6: Transfer to rack over towel-lined baking sheet. Serve immediately with sour cream or apple sauce. (We always ate sour cream at home in Edmonton, only when I moved to Toronto did I ever see applesauce served with potato latkes!) [caption id="attachment_3179" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Latkes for a crowd"] [/caption] To make ahead: Line baking trays with foil. Place cooled latkes on trays. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. To reheat: Place latkes on cooling rack over foil lined baking sheet. Bake in 400°F oven until hot and crispy, about 10 minutes. What are your favourite type of latkes? Thin and crispy, thick and puffy (like at the deli), or multi-vegetable? Applesauce or Sour Cream? Wishing you all a Happy and healthy Hanukkah full of light, dreidels, and loads of latkes!