Here I am, the only Jew in the kitchen, getting taught how to make latkes by a goyishe Mexican named Pedro. I think the recipe came to us via an Indian fellow who lived in Israel at one point.
I've seen people make latkes throughout my whole life, and made them on several occasions myself. But I can't say I've seen them done this way.
Whole russet potatoes get steamed lightly, cooled, then peeled, then shredded. They don't get pressed. The usual shredded onions and minced garlic are added to the mix, along a dash of sugar, a dash of baking powder (to make them puffy), and some flour. No eggs. Salt and pepper. Portions are measured with an ice cream scoop, and formed by hand. Finally, and immediately, they are deep fried to golden perfection.
Believe it or not, they come out quite nice.
We've experimented with both freezing and refrigerating the uncooked, formed latkes. The frozen ones had so much condensation that they flew apart in the deep fryer, resulting in a latka hash. Similar results for the refrigerated ones, which became watery and soft overnight. Moral of the story: latkes need to be mixed and formed immediately before frying.
CORRECTION: Eggs are used, but in small amounts - about 1 egg per 5 potatoes.