If there was ever a potato kugel that I closed my eyes and dreamed of, it would have to be Batya Goodman’s from Far Rockaway, NY. Many years ago, she taught me the secrets of making the crispiest potato kugel, and it’s always a no-fail favorite!
Here are the top three secrets revealed: squeezed out potatoes, hot oil, and a heavy skillet for good heat conduction.
Did You Know?
The word kugel is derived from the practice of cooking dumplings in a kugeltopf: kugel was the Middle High German for “ball” and topf meant “jar/pot” — a small, rounded earthenware jar. The word has also been linked to the Hebrew “ke’igul”— lit. “like a round,” a reference to the round pressed fig cakes mentioned in the bible and Talmud.
Recipe courtesy of The Giving Table.
Ingredients
- ½ cup oil
- 6 medium potatoes peeled (placed in water to cover until ready for use)
- 1 large onion peeled and quartered
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 scant Tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Nutritional Facts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F . Pour oil into a 10-inch cast-iron frying pan; place pan in oven to heat the oil (the oil should be very hot when added to the potatoes).
- Grate: Meanwhile, grate potatoes and onions together. (This can be done in a food processor. I favor a fine shredding blade for this.) Drain and squeeze out any residual liquid that gathers on the bottom. If using food processor, transfer potatoes and onions to a mixing bowl.
- Mix: Remove pan from the oven and pour hot oil over the potato mixture. Return empty pan to the oven to keep hot; raise heat to 410°F . Stir the mixture to blend; mix in the eggs, salt, and pepper.
- Bake: Using oven mitts, carefully remove pan from the oven and pour the potato mixture into the pan, spreading it evenly. Replace pan back in the oven, and bake for 10 minutes . Lower heat to 350°F and continue to bake for 1 hour or until top is golden brown .
