How NYC’s Best Potato Latkes are Made | Made to Order | Bon Appétit

Quick Overview

Executive Chef Eli Sussman of Gertrude's in Brooklyn demonstrates how to make superior latkes by grating potatoes and onions using a box grater, squeezing out excess moisture, binding the mixture with eggs, matzo meal, and potato starch, frying them in shallow oil until golden brown, and finishing them with celery crème fraîche, trout roe, dill, and chives.

Key Points: Sussman prepares the latke mixture using Idaho potatoes and white Spanish onions, grated on the large holes of a box grater to maintain texture and minimize pulpy mush. The mixture is bound using eggs, matzo meal (for flavor absorption), and potato starch (for a fine texture and binding). It is crucial to remove excess moisture from the grated potato/onion mix by squeezing it in cheesecloth or a towel, as too much moisture causes the latkes to break apart while frying. The latkes are formed into small, thin patties (about silver dollar size) and fried in shallow oil (about 3 inches deep) at 350°F until golden brown on both sides. Sussman recommends tasting a test latke to adjust seasoning (salt) before frying the entire batch, noting that salt can be added later but removed ingredients cannot. The finished latkes are topped traditionally with celery crème fraîche, trout roe, fresh dill, and chives for a bright flavor contrast to the hot, crispy potato base. Gertrude's serves hundreds of latkes weekly, often topping them with smoked trout or salmon salad as savory alternatives to the traditional apple sauce/sour cream.

Context: Eli Sussman, Executive Chef and Partner at Gertrude's restaurant in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, provides a tutorial on crafting his highly popular latkes, which the restaurant serves hundreds of weekly. The video focuses on achieving the perfect texture—crispy exterior with a slightly chewy, not mashed, interior—and demonstrates the key preparation steps from grating the vegetables to the final plating with elevated toppings.

Detailed Analysis

Chef Eli Sussman details the process for making excellent latkes, emphasizing texture and proper binding. The preparation starts with grating Idaho potatoes (retaining the skin for texture and moisture) and white Spanish onions using the larger holes of a box grater to avoid turning the mix into pulp. A critical step highlighted is squeezing out as much moisture as possible from the grated mixture using cheesecloth or a kitchen towel; excess moisture causes the latkes to fall apart in the hot oil. The dry mixture is then bound using eggs, matzo meal (to absorb moisture and add flavor), and potato starch (which is very fine, unlike flour, ensuring uniform incorporation and crispiness). After forming small, thin patties, they are deep-fried in about three inches of oil maintained at 350°F. Sussman stresses the importance of frying a test latke to adjust the salt level before committing to the whole batch, as ingredients added later cannot be removed. The final fried latkes are golden brown, crispy on the outside, and tender inside. For plating, Sussman uses celery crème fraîche, trout roe for a burst of bright flavor, and garnishes with fresh dill and chives. He notes that while traditional toppings include apple sauce and sour cream, Gertrude's offers variations like smoked trout or salmon salad.