1 medium onion
Vegetable oil for frying
1 cup flour
4 eggs
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper
8 large Idaho or russet potatoes, peeled
Applesauce, yogurt or sour cream for serving
In a food processor fitted with a grating blade, grate onion. Heat 1/3 inch oil in a heavy frying pan until very hot. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine flour, eggs, onion, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and mix thoroughly. Grate potatoes in the food processor or by hand and immediately stir them into the batter. Work very quickly so they do not have time to get discolored.
Form small patties, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, and lower them into the hot oil, or drop the batter into the oil by heaping tablespoons. Fry until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove latkes and drain them on paper towels. Serve with applesauce, yogurt, or sour cream.
Vegetable Latkes: Substitute a mixture of zucchini, carrots and parsnips (about 3 pounds) for the potatoes. Add seasonings of your choice such as oregano, garlic and basil.
Sweet Potato Latkes: Substitute sweet potatoes for regular potatoes and add brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger to taste.