Instructions

1. Cut 2 pounds sweet potatoes (peel if desired) and 1 large peeled yellow onion into large chunks. Grate on the large holes of a box grater or with the coarse grating attachment on a food processor (10 cups potatoes, 1 1/2 cups onion). Transfer the mixture to a large colander set in the sink. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt and toss to combine. Let sit for 10 to 20 minutes (let sit 20 minutes if using a coarser salt, like Morton’s).
2. Transfer about 1/3 of the mixture to a clean kitchen towel placed in a small bowl. Gather the edges of the towel up to form a bundle and squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the potato mixture into the small bowl. Transfer the squeezed potato mixture to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture in two more rounds.
3. Let the squeezed liquid sit in the bowl for 5 minutes. Slowly pour out the water from the bowl but leave behind any orangy-white potato starch that’s accumulated in the bottom of the bowl.
4. Scrape the starch accumulated in the bowl into the potato mixture. Add 3 large eggs, 1/4 cup matzo meal or panko breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch, the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix with your hands until well combined.
5. Line a baking sheet with paper towels or a wire rack. Pour enough vegetable oil into a large cast iron skillet to reach about 1/4-inch up the sides. Heat the oil over medium-high until shimmering. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a small piece of grated potato from the latke mixture into the pan—if it immediately sizzles, you’re ready to fry; if not, let the oil heat for 2 minutes more before testing again.
6. For larger latkes: Drop 3 to 4 (1/4-cup) portions of the latke mixture into the pan and use a fork to spread out each mound into a flat, about 4-inch wide pancake (they don’t have to be perfectly round). Fry undisturbed until the bottoms are deeply golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Gently flip with a thin, flat spatula (like a fish spatula) and fry until deeply golden brown on the second side, 3 to 5 minutes more.
7. For silver dollar latkes: Drop 4 to 5 (2 tablespoon) portions of the latke mixture into the pan and use a fork to spread out each mound into about a flat, about 2-inch wide pancake. Fry undisturbed until the bottoms are deeply golden brown, about 2 minutes. Gently flip with a thin, flat spatula (like a fish spatula) and fry until deeply golden brown on the second side, 2 to 3 minutes more.
8. Transfer the latkes to the baking sheet and sprinkle with flaky or less coarse kosher salt (not Morton’s). Fry the remaining latke batter, adding more oil to the pan before each batch as needed to keep reach about 1/4-inch up the sides.
9. Let the latkes cool for 5 minutes. Serve as they’re ready with sour cream, smoked fish, and/or chopped chives or dill fronds if desired. If you’d like to serve all the latkes at once, transfer the fried and seasoned latkes to a wire rack placed on a second baking sheet and keep warm in a 300ºF oven until ready to serve.