Food

Chef Gabriel Israel’s Latke Secrets

Green Fig Chef Gabriel Israel says his favorite latkes of all time are his mom’s. Image by @RatedRuwan

By Michael Kaminer December 25, 2016

We pried potato pancake preferences from a few of our favorite chefs around the country — and compiled them into a tell-all to help you make the best latkes of your life.

Image by Anya Ulinich

Chef
Gabriel Israel

Restaurant
Green Fig, New York

Secret ingredient?
Fresh scallions and dill, along with coriander and fennel powder.

Type of oil used for frying?
Oil that can be heated to a high temperature, like grape seed oil. I wouldn’t use olive oil, because it develops a bitter taste at the high temperature needed to fry latkes.

What’s the one thing home cooks should not do?
Not soak the potatoes in advance to get the starch off. Then the potatoes are sticky and it gives the latkes an unpleasant texture.

Preferred potato?
Idaho. They have a low water content, so they fry up better.

Applesauce, sour cream or other?
Sour cream.

Main components of your recipe?
At Green Fig we’re serving latkes as part of the Jewish eggs Benedict for Chrismukkah brunch. They’re topped with poached eggs, smoked salmon, leeks and labane cheese.

Best latkes you ever had?
My mom always made great simple latkes with potatoes and white onions blended with cream, eggs and milk.

More Chefs’ Latke Secrets

Michael Kaminer is a contributing editor at the Forward. Contact him at [email protected]

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