What are latkes? They are small, crispy pan-fried potato cakes. Popular at Hanukkah, but delicious at any time, most recipes consist of the same core elements and a simple formula: Combine raw potatoes and onions and toss them with beaten egg, starch, and plenty of salt and pepper. Shallow-fry mounds of the thick batter until the disks are crisp and golden brown on both sides. The trouble is, raw potatoes exude tons of moisture when their cells are broken, and excess water is the enemy of crispiness; not only does more moisture lead to a wetter interior, but water that seeps out of the pancake during frying drags down the temperature of the oil, leading to a soggier, greasier result. We solved those problems and will also teach you the secrets of reheating cooled (or even frozen) latkes in a hot oven.