I tried Ina Garten and Martha Stewart's latke recipes, and Garten's buttery potato pancakes came out on top

Talia LakritzDec 3, 2020, 01:17 IST

I made both Ina Garten's (right) and Martha Stewart's latke recipes.Courtesy of Coren Feldman

I made both Ina Garten and Martha Stewart's latke recipes to see which one I liked better.
I was initially skeptical of Ina Garten's recipe because the latkes are fried in butter instead of oil, but they came out sweet and crispy.
Martha Stewart's latke recipe includes grated onion and beer, and the bigger potato pancakes took longer to fry and were harder to flip.
I preferred Garten's recipe because the simple ingredients and butter-frying method gave them a lighter flavor, but Stewart's recipe with oil results in a more classic latke.

The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, celebrates stories of a mighty few overcoming the odds.

The holiday commemorates the victory of a small group of Jewish rebels over an enormous Greek army to defend their heritage, and a miraculous amount of oil that burned in their reclaimed Temple's menorah (candelabra) for eight nights instead of one.

This year, Hanukkah begins on the evening of December 10, 2020. Jewish people remember the rebels' victory and the miracle of the long-lasting oil by lighting a menorah for eight nights and eating fried foods.

As someone who has grown up celebrating Hanukkah, I've eaten my fair share of latkes, and was curious to see how two of my favorite celebrity chefs have made the fried potato pancakes their own. I tried both Ina Garten and Martha Stewart's latke recipes to see which one would reign supreme.

Ina Garten and Martha Stewart are both known for their delicious recipes. But whose latkes would prevail?

Ina Garten (left) and Martha Stewart. Andy Kropa/Getty Images, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

I began with Ina Garten's recipe.

The ingredients for Ina Garten's latkes. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

I began by peeling and grating the potatoes, then squeezing out the excess liquid.

Peeling potatoes. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

I mixed in the egg, flour, salt, and pepper.

Mixing the ingredients. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

I then started on the clarified butter for frying.

Melting butter. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

Making clarified butter involves melting butter, waiting for milk solids to settle, and skimming them off the top.

Making clarified butter. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

With the butter all clarified, it was time to fry.

Frying Ina Garten's latkes. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

The small pancakes finished cooking in minutes, and they were easy to flip.

Ina Garten's latkes in the frying pan. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

The finished products came out perfectly crispy even though they weren't fried in oil.

Courtesy of Coren Feldman

Paired with some applesauce — my latke topping of choice — Garten's recipe became the one to beat for me.

A latke topped with applesauce. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

Next, I started on Martha Stewart's latke recipe.

The ingredients for Martha Stewart's latkes. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

I grated the potatoes, and squeezed them out with a kitchen towel.

Squeezing out the potatoes. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

I then added the eggs, a grated onion, and a quarter cup of beer.

Adding beer to the latkes. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

After mixing everything together, I scooped out half a cup of batter at a time into a pan of hot oil as the recipe instructed.

Making Martha Stewart's latkes. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

As that classic oily Hanukkah smell filled the kitchen, I became nostalgic for the latkes of my youth.

Martha Stewart's latkes. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

Stewart's recipe tasted like the kind of standard latke you can get at any Hanukkah party.

Trying the Martha Stewart latkes. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

Personally, I preferred Garten's take on the potato pancake, but Stewart's recipe is great if you're looking for a classic latke.

The two latkes side by side. Courtesy of Coren Feldman, Andy Kropa/Getty Images, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

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