Panko Latkes with Sour Cream and Chives

Food52

The perfect potato pancakes get a crunchy update.

There's no denying that crisp, golden, lacy, and tangled latkes are our favorite way to enjoy potatoes, especially around the holidays. Who can resist one? They're unbelievable simple to prepare with rewarding results: just grate some potatoes and onions, mix them with egg and flour, slap them into patties, fry, and dig in.

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We like this particular latke recipe because it stays true to our favorite flavors of the original latke, while giving it extra crunch. The panko coating amplifies the pan-fried crispness you want in a latke. And Yukon Golds have plenty of moisture and sugar so once they fried up, they toast handsomely on the edges, while at the center of the pancake, the potato strands remain silky and tender.

>>RELATED: How to Make Latkes Without a Recipe

Enjoy these latkes any time of the year: for festive holidays, weeknight dinners, passed hors d'oeuvres (in bite-size form), or as an after-school snack.

Golden Panko Latkes with Sour Cream and Chives

Serves 4 to 6

6 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and grated (about 2 pounds)
1 tablespoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 tablespoons finely chopped chives, or more to taste (divided use)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons pastry flour (or substitute 1 tablespoon AP flour + 1 tablespoon cake flour)
3 cups panko breadcrumbs (extra crispy)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup canola oil

1. Wash, peel and (medium) grate Yukon gold potatoes. Squeeze and drain excess potato liquid once grated.

2. Add salt, white pepper, and 3 tablespoons of finely chopped chives. In a separate bowl beat 2 eggs till frothy.

3. Add eggs to potato mixture. Add in flour and mix thoroughly. Form into patties as noted below and cover with the panko breadcrumbs so you no longer see the potato.

4. Before you begin the frying process, mix the sour cream together with another tablespoon (or more to taste if you wish) of the finely chopped chives and refrigerate.

5. Using a large skillet, heat oil which should cover the bottom of skillet and 1/2 way up the sides of the patties. Test first by dropping a teaspoon of mixture into hot oil. It should quickly fry but not so hot it burns (just like when making falafels). The secret is getting the oil to the correct frying temperature so as to flash cook the potatoes to crispy perfection on the outside but remain soft yet cooked on the inside. When forming the patties they should be about 3 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Once you've cooked the potato pancakes serve hot immediately along with the cold sour cream & chive mixture.

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Photos by Sarah Shatz

This recipe originally appeared on Food52.com: Golden Panko Latkes with Sour Cream and Chives