ACTIVE 45 MIN; TOTAL 50 MIN
MAKES ABOUT 28 LATKES
2 lb. russet potatoes (about 3
medium potatoes), peeled and
halved crosswise
1 small (4-oz.) yellow onion(^1) / 4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
(^1) / 2 tsp. black pepper
11 / 2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
Schmaltz or vegetable oil, for frying
40 DECEMBER 2019
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AT MARJIE’S GRILL in New Orleans,
Hanukkah is the cue for the restau-
rant’s locally beloved annual festival of
fried potato pancakes. For each of the
Eight Nights of Latkes, chef Marcus
Jacobs offers a new variation on latkes
inspired by pancakes from around the
world. One evening, a scallion-studded
latke gets topped with barbecued duck;
the next night, there’s a brisket latke
with crème fraîche and dill. A perennial
favorite is the bagel latke sprinkled
with everything bagel spice and
crowned with a smoked Gulf fish
spread and scallions. Jacobs and gen-
eral manager Caitlin Carney started
Eight Nights of Latkes to bring their
shared Jewish heritage to the seasonal,
Southeast Asian–meets–New Orleanian
menu at Marjie’s. “Latkes are probably
the most approachable and familiar
Jewish holiday cooking,” says Jacobs.
“I’ve made them my whole life.” At the
restaurant, Jacobs starts with a basic
latke technique, hand-grating potatoes
and onions for a crisp, light, never
gummy latke. His simple ratio of one
onion to three potatoes is just right and
makes the recipe easy to scale for cele-
brations of any size. Since neither the
restaurant nor the chef keep kosher,
not all of the suggested toppings will fit
everyone’s celebration; mix and match
as desired. —KELSEY YOUNGMANPERFECT
POTATO LATKES
1 2 3
4 5 6
PEEL AND GRATE
POTATOES AND ONION
Peel potatoes and onion;
cut potatoes in half
crosswise. Grate pota-
toes and onion on the
large holes of a box grater
to make long strands.DRAIN GRATED
POTATOES AND ONION
Transfer grated potato-
onion mixture to a col-
ander placed over a large
bowl; press mixture
firmly to release liquid.
Let stand 5 minutes.SQUEEZE DRY
Transfer potato-onion
mixture to a square of
cheesecloth or a clean
kitchen towel; twist
and squeeze to remove
excess liquid, and discard
liquid.MAKE THE BATTER
Stir together potato-onion
mixture, flour, eggs, and
pepper in a large bowl.
Just before frying, stir
in salt. (Salt draws out
moisture, so adding it
last ensures the mixture
doesn’t become watery.)FRY THE LATKES
Heat^1 / 8 inch schmaltz
in a 12-inch cast-iron
skillet over medium.
Spoon 2 tablespoons
batter for each latke into
hot schmaltz, spacing 2
inches apart. Press lightly
with a spatula to flatten.FLIP AND FINISH
Fry until golden and crisp
on one side, 3 to 4 min-
utes. Use two spatulas
to carefully turn latkes;
fry until crisp on other
side, about 3 minutes.
Drain; season with salt,
and top as desired.