Active Time

　　20 min

　　Total Time

　　35 min

　　There's no one way to serve latkes. Some people like them as a first course or as an hors d'oeuvre, while others make them as a side dish. We think this Hanukkah specialty is so delicious, we'd gladly serve latkes as a main course.

　　Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 35 min

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 16 latkes

　　1 large russet (baking) potato (8 to 10 oz)

　　1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

　　2 medium parsnips (1 lb total), peeled and coarsely grated

　　1/4 cup all-purpose flour

　　2 large eggs, lightly beaten

　　3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

　　3/4 teaspoon salt

　　1/4 teaspoon black pepper

　　3/4 cup vegetable oil

　　Accompaniment: applesauce and/or sour cream

　　

Special Equipment

a thin (fine-weave) kitchen towel

　　

Step 1

Preheat oven to 250°F.

　　

Step 2

Peel potato and coarsely grate into a bowl. Add lemon juice and toss to combine. Place potato on towel, then gather up corners to form a sack and twist tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Stir potato together with parsnips, flour, eggs, chives, salt, and pepper until combined well.

　　

Step 3

Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Fill a 1/4-cup measure three-fourths full with latke mixture and carefully spoon it into skillet, then flatten to 3 inches in diameter with a slotted spatula. Form 3 more latkes in skillet, then cook until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Transfer latkes with spatula to paper towels to drain. Keep warm on a rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven. Make more latkes in same manner, in batches of 4, with remaining mixture.