Everyone loves latkes, the fried potato pancakes traditionally served at Chanukah, but why wait all year? We love latkes so much that we eat them from January through December. In this recipe, we top our latkes with tangy sour cream, green onions, and masago—tiny fish eggs from the capelin fish. You can find the roe in specialty fish markets and food stores. As a substitute, feel free to use salmon roe, which are larger and somewhat saltier. (To make this parve, serve it without sour cream.)
For us, latkes are really all about potatoes and oil. We don’t use egg or matzo meal to “bind” the main ingredient, but you will need to use russet (baking) potatoes here. They are high in starch, which serves as a natural binding agent.
The latkes are cooked crisp on the outside and soft inside. We prefer to fry in extra virgin olive oil. It’s a little more expensive than other oils, but in our opinion, its fruity flavor is worth it. However, some people find that olive oil smokes faster than other oils, such as canola or vegetable oil. We have not had this experience, but you should feel free to use whatever frying oil you are accustomed to.
