There are few things finer in this world than a freshly fried potato pancake, with its intense savoury flavour and lacy, crispy edges. This style of potato pancake – aka a fritter, latke or Polish placki – is very simple in concept, but they can be surprisingly bad in some cases.
Often they’re loaded with flour or matzo meal that makes them heavy and gummy inside. It’s also very easy to underseason them, leaving you with bland pancakes.
This recipe aims to remedy those issues and relies on the potato’s own starch to bind it together. This results in a gluten-free potato pancake that is perfect for any occasion.
How to Make Potato Latkes Without Flour
The key factor when making any kind of potato fritter is to curb the moisture, and this recipe accounts for that.
The other important thing to keep in mind is the kind of potato you use – make sure it’s a starch-heavy (or floury) potato like a Russet or Idaho potato.
I don’t bother peeling them, but make sure they’re scrubbed thoroughly. You can peel them if you choose. To save time, I prefer grating the potatoes using the grater attachment on my food processor, but it’s totally fine to grate them on the large holes of a box grater.
Working in batches, you also need to squeeze the moisture from the potatoes. The easiest way to do this without breaking a sweat is to add the potato shreds to a cheesecloth or clean tea towel.
Loosely tie the corners of the cloth to a wooden spoon and then twist the spoon to tighten the cloth around the potatoes and squeeze out all of the moisture.
You will be surprised at how much water comes out of the potatoes – make sure to collect this in a measuring jug or a bowl. Add the squeezed potato to a large mixing bowl.
Let the collected potato water sit for about 10-15 minutes. During this time, you’ll notice some white starch gathering on the bottom of the jug. Once there is a thick layer collected, go ahead and pour off the water, leaving the white starch behind.
While the starch is collecting, go ahead and sautee your onions. This isn’t necessarily traditional, but I think it helps curb the moisture in the mixture and really amplifies the flavour.
I sautee the onions in the same skillet I cook the latkes in. Just add a bit of oil and cook them until they’re soft and beginning to brown, about 10-15 minutes.
Once the onions are done, add them to the bowl with the potatoes along with a few beaten eggs. Scrape the potato starch out from the bottom of the dish and measure out three tablespoons of it.
If you don’t have that much, go ahead and supplement it with a bit of storebought potato starch – or you can use cornstarch in a pinch (just note that they won’t be suitable if you’re making these pancakes for Passover if you do).
Add the potato starch to the bowl, along with a generous amount of salt. Then, mix until it’s thoroughly combined,
Now it’s time to get frying!
Add some oil to a large skillet (I like using cast iron) and heat it over medium heat until it’s shimmering. Compact a handful of the potato mixture and add it to the skillet, being careful not to overcrowd (I can usually fit 4 pancakes in my 10-inch cast iron).
Cook the latkes until they’re crisp and golden on one side – about 5 minutes, before flipping and cooking for another 5 minutes on the other side. Repeat this with the rest of your potato fritters!
I think the pancakes are best served hot with a generous dollop of sour cream or some applesauce. But they’re also good at room temperature!
The cooked latkes can also be frozen and reheated easily, so it’s worth making the whole batch even if you’re only feeding a few people.
These potato pancakes are perfect to serve for a holiday meal and they’re great alongside something like a roast chicken or a crisp broccoli salad!
Crispy Potato Pancakes Without Flour (Latkes)
Ingredients
- 2 kg (4½ lb) floury potatoes scrubbed, peeled if desired (see note 1)
- 2 yellow onions thinly sliced
- 4 eggs lightly beaten
- 2 tsp salt
- Potato starch if needed (see note 2)
- Canola or Sunflower Oil for frying
Instructions
- Using a box grater or a food processor fitted with a grater attachment, grate the potatoes on the large holes. Working in batches, pile the potato shreds onto a piece of cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel. Loosely tie the corners of the cloth around a wooden spoon and then twist the spoon until water squeezes out – collect the water in a measuring jug or bowl.
- Add the squeezed potato shreds to a large mixing bowl. Let the potato water settle for about 10-15 minutes to allow the starch to collect at the bottom. You will notice a thick white layer at the bottom of the jug. Once the starch has collected, pour off the water, leaving the starch in the jug.
- Meanwhile, add a tablespoon of oil to a large skillet (preferably cast iron) and set over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the onions along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they're softened and beginning to brown – about 10-15 minutes.
- Measure out 3 tbsp of collected potato starch – if there is not enough, supplement with the additional potato starch – and add it to the bowl with the shredded potatoes. Add the cooked onions, eggs and salt and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Add 60ml (¼ cup) of oil to a large skillet (preferably cast iron) and set over medium heat. Once shimmering, compact a small handful (about 30g/¼ cup) of the potato mixture and add it to the skillet, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook each pancake for 5 minutes – or until golden and crisp – flip and cook on the other side for an additional 5 minutes.
- Continue cooking the pancakes until they're all crisp and golden (see note 3), adding more oil as necessary. Serve hot or at room temperature, with a side of sour cream or applesauce.
Notes
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- Use potatoes with a high starch content (ie “floury” potatoes) for the best results. In the US, russet/Idaho potatoes are a good option. In Australia, this recipe was developed using brushed potatoes.
- You may not need potato starch if you can get 3 tbsp of starch from your potatoes. If you don’t have potato starch, you can substitute and equal amount of cornstarch (cornflour).
- The cooked and cooled latkes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days. Reheat on a baking tray in a 190°C/375°F oven for 3 minutes per side, or until crisp and warmed through.
- The cooked and cooled pancakes can also be frozen solid on a baking tray. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. To reheat, add the frozen latkes to a baking tray and toast in a 190°C/375°F oven until crisp and warmed through – about 6 minutes per side.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Simple to make and super crispy and delicious, these are the perfect addition to a special occasion meal – and they’re never gummy or heavy because they don’t have any added flour!
Are you looking for a flourless potato pancake recipe? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
