As the “Hanukkah miracle” saw the burning of a small amount of oil for 8 days, the foods typically prepared to celebrate the holiday are fried in oil. Latkes, also known as potato pancakes, are one of those foods. They are great year-round but hold a special meaning in December for those of the Jewish faith.

The main ingredient in latkes is naturally potatoes. To make a 4-serving batch, you want about 3 cups of shredded white potatoes. Other ingredients in the recipe are: 1/4 cup grated onion, 2 beaten eggs, 6 crushed saltines, 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. In a large bowl, mix them all together.

To fry, you’ll need to cover the bottom of a skillet with about ½-inch of vegetable oil which will then be brought to medium-high heat.

The potato mixture needs to carefully be dropped in spoonfuls into the oil. But before doing this, press the mix against the sides of the bowl to remove excess liquid. To evenly heat the pancakes, flatten each one with the back of your spoon once they are in the oil.

The latkes should be brown and crisp after 3 to 5 minutes of frying on each side. Then you’ll drain them on a rack or plate lined with a paper towel.

Dress with applesauce or sour cream and chopped green onions or be creative and try other toppings. The base of fried potatoes provides so much opportunity for experimentation.