I was surprisingly unsatisfied with the latke recipes I turned up by google-searching this year...so I adapted this one from the Food Network. They turned out deliciously, tiny and lacy and crisp and just-right salted. Perfect with apple sauce...
This makes a large number of latkes, almost enough for two hungry adults and three hungry children.
(2016 Latke Party Notes: 21 lbs. of potatoes (7x recipe) generously fed 17 eaters; we also ate a 2/3 full 8-quart pot of applesauce (about 7 jars worth), and had a pot of chicken soup on the side.)
(However, to confound things, my friend shared HER 2016 Latke Party notes. Using this exact recipe, she found that "interestingly, 24 people only ate 14 pounds of potato, less than 48 oz of sour cream and 4 jars of applesauce! I had a case as back up but we only ate the homemade..." Just goes to show that cooking and portion estimation is really more of an art than a science...)
(2018 No Nightshade Notes: This recipe worked fabulously with "Asian" (white flesh, purple skin) sweet potatoes! The shredded sweets didn't require that I press out extra water, so it was actually easier to make the latkes - just skip that step! I used arrowroot instead of added potato starch. They even cooked up crisply!)
3 lbs. russet potatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
4 large eggs
4 tbsp. potato starch
1 tbsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Coconut oil for frying (lots of it!), or lard
Shred the potatoes using a food processor or the largest side of a box grater.
Set a colander over a large bowl, line it with cheesecloth or a thin towel, and dump in the potatoes. Twist the cheesecloth into a pouch, squeezing out as much moisture as you can. Let the potatoes drain in the colander for 15 minutes, then squeeze additional moisture out.
The liquid that remains in the bowl will settle; after a couple more minutes you will be able to pour off the mostly-clear water, leaving behind the white-ish potato starch that has settled to the bottom.
To the starch in the large bowl, add the potatoes and remaining ingredients; toss to combine.
Fry heaping tablespoonfuls of potato mixture in lots (at least a quarter of an inch) of coconut oil in a preheated heavy skillet over medium-high heat; cook for 3-4 minutes per side. Latkes should be golden and crisp on both sides - if you've never eaten them before, you should definitely test one to make sure they're cooking properly. :)
Eat right away, or keep warm in a 200F oven.