(courtesy of the Langer family in Reno. Makes about 10 to 12 latkes)
1 pound potatoes, russet or Yukon gold
½ large white onion
1 large egg
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1¼ cups canola or avocado oil
Peel potatoes and place in a large bowl with water to keep them from turning brown. Cut potatoes into quarters and shred with a large grater or food processor.
Take two handfuls of shredded potatoes and place them in a dish towel. Twist the towel to squeeze the starchy juice from the potatoes into the sink. Undo the twist, fluff potatoes, and squeeze once more to dry out the potatoes as much as possible. Place shredded potatoes in a large bowl.
Peel onion and cut into quarters. Shred onion using a fine-shred grater or food processor. Combine shredded onion, onion juice, and shredded potatoes and mix.
Whisk egg, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Combine egg mixture with potatoes and onions.
Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. The oil should cover the bottom of the skillet and be about ½ inch deep.
Make a latke patty about the size of your palm. Don’t make them too thick, as you want the centers to cook but the outsides not to burn. Squeeze out any excess water before adding patty to the pan. The drier the mixture, the crispier the latkes.
Cook latkes for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Cook them longer for additional crispiness.
The oil can blacken and add a bitter flavor to the latkes. After 2 batches, wipe out the oil and heat more for a new batch.
Transfer cooked latkes to paper towels to drain the oil.
You can keep your latkes warm until you are ready to serve them: Set the oven to warm, place latkes on a cooling rack atop a baking sheet, and place sheet in oven. Rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve with applesauce and sour cream.
Keep any leftover latkes in an airtight container in the fridge or as a single layer in plastic bags in the freezer. Reheat them at 325 degrees F.
