#3180 - Fried Oven Latkes

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 lbs. russet potatoes (peeled and coarsely grated)
1 yellow onion (peeled and grated)
2 eggs
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup flour
1 cup canola oil

Into a large bowl grate the potatoes and onion--mix the grated potatoes and grated onions with your hands until blended. Put a handful of the potato/onion mixture into a fine sieve--squeeze out all of the water that you can, then dump remaining potato/onions mixture into a separate bowl. Repeat with all of the potato/onion mixture until all of it has been pressed through the sieve. Press a paper towel on top of the potato/onion mixture to soak up more moisture. Stir and keep repeating with new paper towels until mixture is as dry as you can get it. In a separate bowl add the eggs, salt, baking powder and flour--beat with a fork until mixed. Pour the egg mixture into the potato/onions mixture--mix well. Pour 1 cup of canola oil (1/2 cup on to each) of two jelly roll pans (cookie pans with a lip on all four sides). Carefully tilt each of the jelly roll pans to make sure they are both evenly coated with oil. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place both of the jelly roll pans in the oven for 10 minutes (to heat the oil). Remove one pan from the oven at a time and drop about 1/4 cup of batter on to the pan for each latke (using the back of a fork to slightly flatten them and keeping them about 2" apart). Fill the first pan with latkes, then place it back in the oven and repeat making latkes on the second oiled jelly roll pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 17-20 minutes or until bottoms are browned and crispy. Use a slotted spatula to carefully flip each latke and bake them 10-12 minutes longer or until tops are brown and crispy. Use the slotted spatula to take them off of the jelly roll pans and place them on paper towels to soak up extra grease. After a minute or two, flip them to get the grease off of the opposite sides.