I need to make a lot of latkes this year. I normally use a single 12-inch cast-iron skillet, and was thinking of using a second pot too. Which makes more sense-- a 12-inch stainless steel sautee pan (straight sides) or a carbon steel flat-bottomed wok?
The wok seems like the better choice because it would cut down on splatter. Any downsides I’m not thinking of?
Seems like a good idea.
Size? I like to fry stuff in my wok, but usually bite sized pieces of stuff. The main benefit of wok frying in my opinion is that you can use a lot less oil due to the smaller middle area, with a side benefit of some outer space for the oil to splatter on. Latkes – unless you’re doing mini ones? – are a lot bigger than I’d be able to comfortably accommodate in my wok without either cooking them one at a time or putting in a lot more oil than usual and basically undoing the benefits mentioned above. Either way I think it’s going to be more hassle than it’s worth…and a wok overfilled with oil sounds like a spill just waiting to happen.
Thank you! Yeah, I was thinking of making smaller ones, but the spilling potential is good reason to not use a wok.
Woks are really the OG multi-purpose cooker - stir-fry, steam, braise, fry. People fry in woks all the time, but you absolutely do not fill the oil up that high. If you have a solid stove set up where the wok sits securely, it should work great without issue. Generally, the oil would go up to 1/3 of the wok or less, depending on the size of what you’re frying. Pro kitchens where the woks sit in a concave opening /hole handle all sorts of deep frying. In case you get the too literal people - don’t try this with a round bottom wok on a flat stove top.
Agree with @kobuta the wok would work fine if it’s stable and your wok is large enough to work for this. I fry egg foo young in my wok on occasion which are about the size of some latkes (of course this will depend on you) and I can fit about 3 patties at a time. I do like frying in a wok because the sloped sides end up requiring less oil . . . but sometimes I pull out the stock pot and fry in that too. Both work.
