Meat-free Friday–Latkes

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This recipe (adapted from the Whole Foods recipes) comes from my friend Sandy, a busy French teacher and mother of two.  She always very generously brings a batch over to my house.  Thanks Sandy!  The kids love them with some applesauce for dipping.
Ingredients
1 large onion, finely diced, reserving the onion juice
2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or other golden potatoes, scrubbed but unpeeled, grated
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons matzah meal or potato flour, more if needed
High-heat safflower oil, for frying
Instructions
1)  Mix potatoes into the onions. The onion juice prevents potatoes from turning black.
2)  Using your fingers, pick up small amounts of potato mixture by the handful and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Reserve all liquid and allow it to settle in a bowl for a few minutes. Put pressed potato and onion mixture in a clean bowl. Carefully pour off watery part of the reserved liquid but do not discard the thick starchy sediment at the bottom of the bowl. Scrape that into potato mixture.
3)  In a small bowl mix eggs, salt and pepper and combine with potato mixture. Add matzah meal to batter, starting with 3 tablespoons and adding more if necessary until potato mixture has enough body to stick together.
4)  Heat a 1/2-inch depth of oil in a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron. Form potato mixture into pancakes of approximately 3 inches in diameter and drop into oil. Fry, turning once, until golden on both sides for a total of about 6 minutes. Drain on clean brown paper bags.
Chef notes: Potato latkes can be frozen. After completely cooking pancakes, place on a cookie sheet and freeze, then store in a container. When ready to use, reheat in a 400°F oven for about 10 minutes.  Serves 6.