How to Make Latkes

1. 1

   Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the lemon juice.

2. 2

   Peel and cut the potatoes in quarters. Shred them in a food processor fitted with the shredding blade. You can also do this with a box grater if you need to. Immediately put the grated potatoes into the cold water to stop them from browning.

3. 3

   Grate the onions but don't put them in the water. Gather the potatoes and onions into a clean kitchen towel and wring out the excess moisture. Take the time to get out as much liquid as you can. Discard the liquid and put the potatoes and onions into a mixing bowl.

4. 4

   Using your hands, gently toss the potatoes and onions with the egg, matzo meal, salt, and pepper. Make sure everything gets well mixed.

5. 5

   Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large cast iron skillet until hot. You'll know it's ready when a bit of potato sizzles on contact with the oil. Scoop out 1/4 cup of the potato mixture (I used an ice cream scoop) and gently pat down to a flat round shape. Don't worry if some of the potato shreds spray out from the sides, that's a good thing! Gently ease the latke into the hot oil and fry for about 4 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy. Add more oil as necessary, and remove any loose bits from the oil so they don't burn.You may need to do a test latke to make sure you've got the right temperature.

   4 min
6. 6

   Drain the latkes on paper towels, and keep warm in a low oven if necessary.

7. 7

   Serve showered with snipped chives, along with cardamom applesauce and sour cream.

cardamom apple sauce

1. 8

   Mix the applesauce with the caramom and adjust the amount of spice to your taste.