The difference between hot smoked salmon and cold smoked salmon is the temperature of the smoke. Cold smoke yields a lox and hot smoke yields a fully cooked ready to eat smoked salmon. In my experience, hot smoked salmon is the better accompaniment to crispy latkes and cool creamy sour topping compared to cold smoked salmon. Using any latke recipe as long as it includes rinsing the starch off the raw grated potatoes and onion before draining well and adding 1/2 tsp baking powder to all other ingredients, I then fry my latkes in avocado oil using a high sided skillet with a light colored preferably white enamel coated interior. Stainless steel is a good alternative to enamel coated pans and far better than darker cast iron for decerning the subtle changes in color as the latkes fry and become crispy. I fry at medium heat adjusting lower if there is splatter and increasing if there is insufficient sizzle then I remove my latkes from the oil when their coloring shows any hint of dark brown anywhere. Latkes should be dark golden without being brown. Brown is burnt and it will taste burnt. Undercooking latkes is not a better option hence, the light-colored pan allowing one to see more clearly the changing color of the latkes as they cook. For uniform latkes measure your latke batter before frying then gently press down to flatten latkes immediately after dropping your measure of latke batter into the hot oil.