Image from Flickr.

Here it is, the last day of Hanukkah and you haven’t even made latkes yet! Well, lucky for you, I gave this traditional Jewish dish a try a few days ago, and the results were delicious.

I also learned that technique is more important than proportion when it comes to making latkes, so instead of providing you with a list of measurements and ingredients, I’m going to supply you with a no-fail formula for making fabulous latkes.

List of ingredients

Latkes only require a few simple ingredients, and you won’t need easy cash loans for this exercise, because they’re mainly made from one of the most inexpensive yet filling items on the planet: potatoes. Here’s what you need to make latkes:

• potatoes
• cheesecloth
• an onion
• eggs
• flour
• salt
• peanut oil

Isn’t that simple? Now, I am sure some of you are freaking out because there are not measurements. I used to be a meticulous, by-the-book recipe follower, but I have found that intuitive cooking often yeilds better results.

Get enough to feed everyone

The most important part of making sure everyone gets to enjoy latkes to his or her heart’s content is to having enough potatoes. Just figure how many potatoes it would take to fill up everyone you’re feeding. Is it one per person? Two per person? Do the math and use that many potatoes.

That brings us to eggs. Most of the recipes I’ve seen call for about three eggs per two cups of shredded potatoes, but I’ve found that using that much egg makes the mixture too soupy. I recommend that you add beaten eggs to your shredded potatoes one or two at a time until you get the right consistency. All the other stuff is to-taste or as needed. Have a full bottle of peanut oil at the ready.

Consistency is key

You’ll notice that cheesecloth is on the list of things you need right after potatoes. That’s because this is an important part of the process. The first thing you’ll do when preparing to make latkes is peel the potatoes. Then grate them, using the part of the cheese grater that has the big holes.

Here’s where the cheesecloth comes in. You’ll need to wrap batches of grated potatoe and wring them out, getting rid of as much moisture as you can. After you’re done peeling, grating and wringing potatoes, put them in a big bowl and add as much grated onion as you’d like.

Freedom means as much onion as you want

My friend and I are not onion lovers, so we added one tablespoon of onion to about four cups of grated potatoes and that was perfect for us. It added a little kick without adding a strong onion flavor. Grate onion into your potatoes to your heart’s content, then add the flour. Start by putting about a tablespoon of flour per cup of mixture.

Add beaten eggs a bit at a time until you get the right consistency. The potatoes should be evenly and thickly coated with egg, but the mixture shouldn’t be soupy. Add extra flour if needed, and add as much salt as you desire.

Fry time

Once your mixture is ready, it’s time to make latkes! In a frying pan, pour peanut oil about a half an inch deep. Set stove on medium-high and wait until oil is nice and hot. My friend and I used a pasta ladle to created the cakes in the hot oil.

Next, just fry away. Wait until they’re nice and dark, golden brown. The crispier the better — trust me. You might even wait until some of the stray potato shreds sticking out on the sides are almost burned. Then you’re done! Latkes are most delicious when still hot. Traditional toppings are sour cream and apple sauce, but if you make them right, they’re delicious plain. I recommend the sour cream, though, it’s decadent!