The Ultimate Potato Kugel

by Rachel Perlow

Jason asked me to share my recipe for potato kugel with you all. This is the best potato kugel you will ever eat. It’s a pain in the ass to make, but so worth it. Originally, it was created for Rosh Hashanah in 2005, but I made it for the next couple of Passovers as well. However, since we have started eating more healthfully, I have avoided making it. It is just too damn good, I can’t trust myself to be near it. Let alone making the extra dish to keep at home. Oy!

But please, you make it, enjoy, don’t think about all the carbs and fat, saturated fat at that. Go for it, and think kind thoughts towards me as I go without. Sniff. (Is the Jewish guilt coming through loud and clear?)

I was inspired by a couple of recipes, including one from our dear friend Melissa Goodman, combining them with Jason’s inspired idea to add caramelized onions. And schmaltz. You’ve got to use the schmaltz.

Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.

Golden Potato Kugel

Notes: I use a food processor for all the slicing, grating and mixing of ingredients in this recipe (heck, I even make use of that plastic blade). But, you will still need a really big bowl for the final mixing of all the ingredients together. Hint: you don’t have to clean any of the blades until you are done with the recipe.

If homemade schmaltz is unavailable, you can use Nyafat or Margarine if you want to keep it kosher parve or meat, but if not or for a dairy meal, use softened butter instead.

Another Hint: Have a second, smaller, casserole dish ready to go along with the larger one. Especially if you are making this ahead. This will placate husbands who need to taste immediately and keep the larger one looking nice for company. ;)

1/2 cup Parsley Leaves
4 Yellow Onions, medium sized (divided)
1/2 cup Schmaltz (rendered chicken fat)
7 Eggs
2 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
1 cup Carrots, peeled and shredded
4 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
2/3 cup Matzo Meal
1/2 tsp Baking Powder

Mince the parsley in the food processor using the chopping blade and pulsing. Put minced parsley in the big mixing bowl, remove chopping blade, put on slicing blade.

Peel onions, cut them in half and slice them with the food processor. Heat a large saute pan, add about 1/4 cup schmaltz and fry about 3/4 of the onions to a nice caramelized brown (this will take a long while, have patience and don’t burn them). Leave the remaining 1/4 of the sliced onions in the bowl of the food processor. Remove the slicing blade and put back in the regular chopping blade. Pulse to grate the remaining onion finely. Put in big bowl — you may want to cover the bowl with its lid, plastic wrap or foil, to keep the onion fumes down.

Remove the slicing blade and put on the plastic blade. Break the eggs into the food processor bowl, add the salt and pepper and pulse to mix and beat the eggs. Add the parsley and raw onion to the food processor bowl and pulse to combine. Put back in the big bowl.

How are those caramelized onions coming? You want them a nice dark golden brown.

Using the shredding blade, shred the carrots, add to bowl.

Peel the potatoes and place in bowl of cold water until you are ready to shred them. Don’t shred them until the onions are all caramelized. If it looks like it will take a while for the onions to finish, put the covered mixing bowl in the fridge. When the onions are browned, set them aside to cool.

Pre-heat oven before shredding the potatoes, to 375F (I used 350 convection). Now shred the potatoes and immediately mix with the other ingredients (the onions will help keep the potatoes from turning brown, but you don’t want it too sit too long). Add the matzo meal, baking powder, caramelized onions and remaining schmaltz and mix thoroughly, you’ll probably have to use your hands at this point. Grease a large baking dish (I used my largest Pyrex lasagna pan) with a little more schmaltz, and scoop in the mixture, smoothing off the top, dot the top with a little more schmaltz while you’re at it.

Bake for at least 60-90 minutes or until light brown and crisp looking on top. If making ahead, remove from oven before it is too browned (about 1 hour) and bake for at least 30 minutes on the day of serving. If you make the little extra casserole, it will be done after 45-60 minutes.

Chag Sameach!