Potato pancakes aka Latkes

I know it's not Hanukkah anymore, but Latkes are just too tasty to limit to 8 days each year and they're perfect for a weekend breakfast or brunch. So throughout the year, whenever we eat them (which is about every other week), we call the finished product of this recipe potato pancakes. And on Hanukkah...they become Latkes again.

Ingredients (makes about 24 Latkes)

• 1 kg waxy potatoes, peeled (you can also substitute some of the potatoes for other root veggies such as carrots or parsnips)
  
• 1 large onion (I tend to use white onions for this recipe, but I've made them with yellow and red onions as well and they tasted just fine)
  
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
  
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• Salt 
• Vegetable oil, for frying (enough to cover your pan 0.5 cm deep)
• Good-quality apple sauce, to serve
• Sour cream, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 60°C
   
2. In a large bowl, grate potatoes into long strips using a box grater, or a food processor fitted with a shredding attachment (don't worry when the color of the strips changes to pink/brownish...it's the potato carbs reacting with the oxygen)
   

3. Do the same with the onion
4. Place the potato-onion mixture in a clean tea towel (you could also use mull diapers...and the stains wash off easily) and squeeze to remove any excess liquids

5. Return to the bowl and mix with eggs and flour. 
6. Season well with salt
7. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. You know it's ready when you drop in a strip of potato and it starts to sizzle upon contact with the oil.
8. Put heaped tablespoons of the mixture in the pan and gently press down with the back of the spoon.

9. Fry until deep golden brown on both sides (about 2-3 minutes each side depending on the heat)
10. To drain and keep warm while you do the next batch, place latkes on a plate covered with paper towels in the preheated oven

11. Serve warm with apple sauce and sour cream. They also keep for a couple of days in the fridge and taste great as a snack in between.