Do bad things happen if you use less oil, or cook them on a silpat? I love latkes but I hate that they're so greasy. I thought oven-baking might be a good alternative--any hope for using less oil?
Sure, you can use less oil - they just won't be traditional latkes. They won't be crisp like latkes. It's a tradeoff. If you use a Silpat, my guess is they'll be soft and won't brown; kind of like stringy mashed potatoes. If you don't use a Silpat, but spray a pan with non-stick vegetable oil spray, you'll probably get soft, slightly browned mounds of potato. It might help to spray the pancakes themselves with olive oil spray. Bottom line: I don't recommend any of this to make latkes. But certainly feel free to make... potato-onion patties(?) this way... For less greasy latkes, use barely enough oil to sheet on the pan, and pat them firmly with paper towels, front and back, when they're done. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it! Good luck - PJH
December 19, 2008 at 3:30am