I Cook Hundreds of Latkes Every Year — This Is My Zero-Effort Trick to Get Them So Crispy

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I know my way around a batch of latkes. My credentials? This year is my fourth annual latke party. Last year I made over 200 in my apartment kitchen, and by the day this publishes, I’ll have made even more for this year’s party (I’ve never had leftovers). For me, crispiness is a latke non-negotiable. That way they can stand up to whatever toppings I have in store without sacrificing that perfect potato-y crunch.

I ensure they get extra crispy by removing all of the excess water in the potatoes, but saving the starch they leave behind. It’s my favorite trick because it works, AND it’s already in my mixing bowl.

Just like cornstarch in fried chicken breading, potato starch makes latkes crispier. When you squeeze the water out of shredded potatoes, you’re also squeezing out a bunch of naturally occurring starch. Once it settles to the bottom of the bowl, you can discard the water and keep it to add to your latkes.

The starch coats all of the potato shreds with a thin film. Once heated in the oil, pure starch gelatinizes and then dehydrates very quickly forming an airy, delicately crunchy exterior. Potato starch is also very good at absorbing water, so it will pull any remaining moisture off the surface of the potatoes. Less surface moisture means less steam, less steam means more even frying, and that means crispier latkes.

This technique is great because it can be incorporated into any latke recipe you already know and love. Also, many recipes call for flour or finely ground matzo meal as a binding agent in the latkes, but I find that you can substitute airier panko breadcrumbs for the flour with the addition of potato starch because it acts as a very effective binding agent.

1. Grate the potatoes and onions. On the large holes of a box grater or using the grating attachment on a food processor, grate the potatoes and onions.
2. Squeeze out the excess water. Transfer the potatoes and onions to a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel. Gather the corners up and twist to squeeze out as much liquid as you possibly can into a large mixing bowl, until no more liquid comes out.
3. Reserve the starch. Let the liquid sit for about 5 minutes so the starch can settle to the bottom of the bowl. Pour out the liquid and use a paper towel to pat the rest of the bowl and surface of the starch dry. Return the potatoes and onions to the bowl, and scrape up the starch, stirring to evenly coat. Add your remaining ingredients, and proceed with your latke recipe as normal.

• When it’s not Passover, I swap matzo meal for panko breadcrumbs for a lighter, airier structure. I also save the butt ends of challah loaves to make homemade breadcrumbs, so if I have some on hand, I’ll use them instead.
• Smaller latkes are crispier latkes! The smaller they are, the higher the ratio of crispy exterior. I find that a rounded tablespoon of potato mixture gives you the perfect two-bite latke.
• Always use russet potatoes! Resist the temptation to employ a fancier potato variety. What makes russets a little less attractive for other recipes — their dry, mealy texture and high starch content — is exactly what makes them fry to crispy perfection.