Potato kugel is ubiquitous on the Shabbos table, and with good reason. Doesn’t everyone love a really good piece of potato kugel? But not every piece of potato kugel is worth the (significant) calories. Here’s one that definitely is. Is it a patchke? For sure. But just as this kugel is worth the calories, it’s also worth investing the time and work that makes it crispy on the outside, and creamy and savory on the inside. You won’t be able to have just one serving.
Potato Kugel
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients:
- 6 large Idaho potatoes, peeled
- 2 large onions, one diced and one quartered
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 5 tablespoons oil, plus ¼ cup oil for pan
- 23 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- Pinch ground allspice
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- Pinch poultry seasoning, or a smidgen each: powdered sage, oregano, dry mustard, thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoons double-acting baking powder
- ¼ cup potato starch
- 1 cup boiling water
Method:
- Sauté diced onion until nicely caramelized and golden in 5 tablespoons oil.
- While onion is caramelizing, grate potatoes using the fine disc in the food processor, then process the grated potatoes for 30 seconds with the steel knife.
- Squeeze out liquid and place in large mixing bowl.
- Preheat oven to 500° F
- Process onions (no need to rinse or change the blade) and pour the resulting onion pulp and juices into the squeezed out potatoes.
- Stir in eggs, salt, pepper, spices, baking powder, and caramelized onions.
- Sprinkle starch on top of potato mixture.
- Pour boiling water over starch and stir thoroughly.
- Pour ¼ cup of oil into a 9×13-inch baking pan and hear in oven for about a minute. Do not allow oil to burn.
- Carefully pour mixture into pan and bake for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, reduce heat to 400° F and bake for 40 minutes or until the top is a deep golden brown.