Griddle/Pan Fried: potato latkes

Subject: potato latkes
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: jbcookie at webtv.net (Jeannie)
Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 07:01:17 -0500 (EST)
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I have a function coming up and they want potato latkes, does anyone have any short cuts or tips for making say 8-9 hundred of them? Any suggestions appreciated.
From: arlene (arlene at taranto.com)
Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2001 09:26:05 +0000
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The suggestions call for frying them and not draining. Lay them on a sheet pan and freeze. When frozen put them in plastic bags.

On reheating: lay them on trays and put them in the oven to heat through, then drain on paper towels.
From: maxine in ri (weedfam at hotmail.coma)
Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2001 11:56:59 -0500
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Jeannie wrote:
> I have a function coming up and they want potato latkes, does anyone
> have any short cuts or tips for making say 8-9 hundred of them? Any
> suggestions appreciated.

We've usually made them for only 100 or so, but the methods should be the same:
fry them, drain them (yes, do drain them, there's plenty of oil left after you let them sit a while<g>), and then freeze. I usually do this with a layer of plastic wrap or waxed paper in between, and well-wrapped outside with foil.

Reheating: 350 oven for 7-10 minutes, or until crispy again. Drain again and watch them disappear.
From: Michael Edelman (mje at spamcop.net)
Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2001 08:49:51 -0500
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Jeannie wrote:
> I have a function coming up and they want potato latkes, does anyone
> have any short cuts or tips for making say 8-9 hundred of them? Any
> suggestions appreciated.

Multiple burners, multiple pans and multiple helpers! Grate the potatoes and onions with a Kitchen Aid mixer with the grater/grinder attachment.
From: Alan Zelt (alzelt at worldnet.att.netFINNFAN)
Date: Wed, 05 Dec 2001 00:57:30 GMT
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Michael Edelman wrote:
> Grate the potatoes
> and onions with a Kitchen Aid mixer with the grater/grinder attachment.

And one item that will keep the spuds from turning color is to alternately grate onions and spuds together.
From: penmart01 at aol.como (Sheldon)
Date: 05 Dec 2001 03:53:40 GMT
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Michael Edelman wrote:
> Grate the potatoes
> and onions with a Kitchen Aid mixer with the grater/grinder attachment.

No Kitchen Aid mixer attachment will handle the quantity of spuds needed for "8-9 HUNDRED" latkes, not in a reasonable amount of time nor with a resonable amount of labor force... yer talking near-a-bouts ONE THOUSAND (1000) POUNDS of taters... that's a friggin' *HALF A TON* (okay, yoose can get by with about 500 pounds, but somehow I think even a thousand pounds won't be enough - there are never enough latkes!) . Yer gonna need at least ten KA mixers, with attachments, with ten people operating... and which monkeys will you train to peel a half ton of spuds, eh... ten edleweenies, maybe, but I think they're way too dumb, and are physically incapable or holding a veggie peeler.... I seriously doubt the edlweenies have evolved to the point of having opposing thumbs.

And then where/how will someone cook so many latkes, on one stove is not possible... not to feed so many within the same time period, you'd need at least 1/2 dozen greezy spoon style griddles, BIG ones.... a swift short order cook should be able to handle two griddles, so you'll need three of those... no, not him, the edleweenie can't grasp a spatula (doncha remember that lack of opposing thumbs).

I'm surprised at you, Alan, for not catching on, but I'm not surprised at all at the fucking dumb ass megalomaniac edleweenie imbecile.

Now iffn' someone talks to to me real, real nice, with honey on top, I may decide to let yoose in on how to fix a thousand latkes at home, EASILY... and ya had better be someone of the female persuasion, and with very large bosoms... 'cause we're gonna be working together, for the better part of a day, in intimate proximity.

Obviously the edlweenie has never cooked for more than one, Kraft Mac n' Cheese, for himself.
From: Alan Zelt (alzelt at worldnet.att.netFINNFAN)
Date: Wed, 05 Dec 2001 06:05:48 GMT
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Sheldon wrote:
> No Kitchen Aid mixer attachment will handle the quantity of spuds needed for
> "8-9 HUNDRED" latkes, not in a reasonable amount of time nor with a resonable

Not mixer. I use my Cuisinart when making latkes.
From: penmart01 at aol.como (Sheldon)
Date: 05 Dec 2001 10:55:57 GMT
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Alan "Mr. Potatohead" Zelt writes:
>Not mixer. I use my Cuisinart when making latkes.

That's more ridiculous.

Now you're being dumber than the edleweenie (is that even possible). Hasn't it sunk into your potato head yet that the original poster is tawking *8-9 HUNDRED*.... not a couple-three dozen. No single Coozinart food processor can handle near to HALF TON of spuds in a reasonable time frame... with that toy you'd be at it for days.
From: Michael Edelman (mje at spamcop.net)
Date: Wed, 05 Dec 2001 08:36:46 -0500
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The idiot child speaks:
> No Kitchen Aid mixer attachment will handle the quantity of spuds needed for
> "8-9 HUNDRED" latkes, not in a reasonable amount of time nor with a resonable
> amount of labor force... yer talking near-a-bouts ONE THOUSAND (1000) POUNDS of
> taters... that's a friggin' *HALF A TON*...

Since when do latkes weigh a pound and a half each? What an idiot!

And yet he's so gleeful when he expounds these ignorant, ill-informed opinions. As always, unless he's cutting and pasting he's just showing off his lack of actual knowledge of cooking. They really should monitor his computer use more at whatever institution they keep him in.

A latke should have perhaps 2-4 ounces of potatoes, depending on whether you like them thin or a little meatier. Ignoring the other ingredients that translates into between 100 and 200 pounds of potatoes- simple enough for a good heavy-duty Kitchen Aide grater and an afternoon of work. Depends on how much time you have, and how many helpers.
From: mcc6050 at aol.com (Mac)
Date: 05 Dec 2001 15:21:07 GMT
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Michael Edelman wrote:
>A latke should have perhaps 2-4 ounces of potatoes, depending on whether you like
>them thin or a little meatier. Ignoring the other ingredients that translates
>into between 100 and 200 pounds of potatoes- simple enough for a good heavy-duty
>Kitchen Aide grater and an afternoon of work. Depends on how much time you have,
>and how many helpers.

Those estimates, both of quantity of spuds and time involved, sounds about right...nearer to 150 lbs of potatoes tho. Last year spouse and I made several hundred latkes and the whole process, including preparing the cooked latkes for freezing, took the better part of the day. We discovered that grating the potatoes in small batches (using both a food processor and a hand grater), frying the batch, and then preparing a fresh batch worked best, esp in avoiding discolored potatoes.

Freezing wasn't a problem, other than to make room in the freezer. The latkes, after reheating in a low oven, were delicious and tasted freshly made. For once, there were enough latkes to satisfy everyone.
From: penmart01 at aol.como (Sheldon)
Date: 05 Dec 2001 17:04:37 GMT
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Mac writes:
> Last year spouse and I made several hundred latkes and the whole
>process, including preparing the cooked latkes for freezing, took the
>better part of the day.

How many hundred is "several"... that took two of you all day. Can I assume by several hundred you mean 3 hundred, perhaps 4 hundred tops.

several
pronoun, plural in construction

: an indefinite number more than two and fewer than many

>nearer to 150 lbs of potatoes tho.

By the time you pare, eye, grate, and squeeeze out the water from 150 pounds of potatoes you'd be lucky to have 100 pounds (probably somewhat less). The typical medium Idaho Russet weighs 8 ounces, which after processing will yield no more than 5 ounces, which will yield 2 very skimpy latkes (and during frying latkes shrink quite a bit). One pound of raw potato will yield three medium sized latkes (or one half serving for a not so hungry person). For serving a large crowd it would be wise to make large latkes, requires far less cooking time and labor.

I can imagine your recipe... I bet you're one of those who adds flour rather than matzo meal, and lots of it because you don't squeeze out the water, and those btw, ain't potato latkes, they're crepes, um, crapettes.

And again, food processors are incapable of grating... those so-called grating blades do not grate, they produce a fine shred... which will prepare potatoes for fercocktah hash browns, not latkes. And hash brown patties is what you produced, not latkes... you wouldn't know a latke if smacked you in your mouth.
From: mje at spamcop.net (Michael Edelman)
Date: 8 Dec 2001 20:50:03 -0800
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Sheldon wrote:
> By the time you pare, eye, grate, and squeeeze out the water from 150 pounds of
> potatoes you'd be lucky to have 100 pounds (probably somewhat less). The
> typical medium Idaho Russet weighs 8 ounces, which after processing will yield
> no more than 5 ounces

Shelly, just learn to say "Sorry, I was wrong" instead of *endlessly* blathering on and on and making an even bigger ass of yourself.

Do this, and who knows? The other children might just let you play with them one day.
From: Alan Zelt (alzelt at worldnet.att.netFINNFAN)
Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2001 01:10:03 GMT
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Sheldon wrote:
> Now you're being dumber than the edleweenie (is that even possible).
> Hasn't it sunk into your potato head yet that the original poster is
> tawking *8-9 HUNDRED*.... not a couple-three dozen. No single
> Coozinart food processor can handle near to HALF TON of spuds
> in a reasonable time frame... with that toy you'd be at it for days.

No, I just said that I use the cuisinart. The process of interleaving onions and spuds works for ten latkes or any large number. While I missed his quantity, the truth is still that the process ensures spuds not turning color so quickly.
From: stan at temple.edu
Date: 4 Dec 2001 13:58:14 GMT
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Jeannie wrote:
> I have a function coming up and they want potato latkes, does anyone
> have any short cuts or tips for making say 8-9 hundred of them? Any
> suggestions appreciated.

That many? Sure, call a cater and let them handle it!
From: DIMITRI (dimitri_C at prodigy.net)
Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2001 17:59:46 GMT
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Jeannie wrote:
> I have a function coming up and they want potato latkes, does anyone
> have any short cuts or tips for making say 8-9 hundred of them? Any
> suggestions appreciated.

Take a look here: http://www.angelfire.com/bc/incredible/indexhundred.html

A good source for information on mega recipes for 100 or more.
From: Bev Russell (b.russell at home.com)
Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2001 21:54:17 GMT
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I just finished making 100 of the darlings! I grated and mixed and set my husband at the kitchen with an electric frying and a brandy and egg nog. He was content and as he does not cook at all, was very patient and they were lovely and golden brown. Now, I just have to get the smell of them out of my house! As for 800 of them, very time consuming so probably would get more frying pans and help from my friends! Have fun!
From: ginnysher at mediaone.net (Ginny Sher)
Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 13:54:35 GMT
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Jeannie wrote:
>I have a function coming up and they want potato latkes, does anyone
>have any short cuts or tips for making say 8-9 hundred of them? Any
>suggestions appreciated.

One time saving tip I've used is to partially "pre-bake" the potatoes about half way through before grating them. This removes the moisture so that squeezing the grated potatoes becomes unnecessary. Removing the water is a step I happen to dislike doing. It seems I can never remove *enough* water for my liking. Wtih this method, turning an off color is also eliminated so no special steps are needed to insure they are soaking. Secondly, because they are pre-baked, they don't require quite as much time on the stove. You can bake them in advance, let them cool, then grate. When I've made them with this method, everyone loved their texture, which is less like hash browns and more like a "deli" style latke IMO.

When's the party?