Latkes are already the center of most Hanukkah parties, and every family has someone convinced theirs are the best. A cook-off settles it. Hanukkah starts at sundown on December 4 this year, so there is time to recruit cooks and test a batch first.
Why fried food at all
The Hanukkah story centers on a small supply of oil that lasted eight days, so foods fried in oil, latkes and jelly doughnuts above all, are the traditional way to mark it. The oil is the point, not a side effect.
The potato that wins
Use russets. They are high in starch and low in moisture, which is what makes a crisp edge. Yukon Golds make a creamier, softer latke, a fine choice if a cook wants to compete on texture instead of crunch.
Whatever the potato, squeeze out the water. Wrap the grated potato and onion in a clean kitchen towel and wring it hard. Let the liquid sit a few minutes, pour off the water, and scrape the white starch at the bottom back into the mix. It helps bind the batter. Wet batter is the single biggest cause of soggy latkes.
How to run it
Three or four cooks is plenty. Each one makes a single batch, any style they like: classic, sweet potato, zucchini and scallion, whatever.
- Number the plates, not the cooks. Someone who isn't cooking assigns each batch a number, and guests vote by number. It is the same idea as a blind tasting, and it keeps votes about the latke, not the person.
- Vote in categories. Crispiest, best topping, most creative and best overall gives four winners instead of one, which keeps a friendly night friendly.
- Taste in small pieces. Half a latke per batch per guest adds up fast.
Keeping them hot
Latkes are best minutes out of the pan. Set a wire rack on a sheet pan in a 200°F oven and move each finished batch there. A rack keeps the bottoms crisp; stacking them on paper towels steams them soft. If a cook fries ahead, reheat on a rack in a hot oven until they sizzle again, never in the microwave.
The topping table
Set out applesauce and sour cream, and let the old argument over which one is correct play out. Add smoked salmon, chives, a soft fried egg or hot honey for anyone going after the creative prize.
Frying safety
Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, about a quarter inch deep, and turn the handles in. Keep kids on the far side of the kitchen. If oil catches fire, cover the pan with a lid and turn off the heat. Never use water.
The rest of the night
Our Hanukkah Party Games kit prints the Latke Cook-Off secret ballots with all four categories, plus seven more games for while the oil heats. For the game everyone plays after dinner, see How to Play Dreidel.