Crispy Potato Leek Kugel Food

CRISPY POTATO KUGEL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Using a box grater or the shredding attachment on the food processor, grate the potatoes and onion into a colander fitted inside a large bowl (or in the sink).
• Using your hands and working with a bit at a time, squeeze as much water from the potatoes and onions as humanly possible and transfer the dry potatoes to a large bowl (you can use that same bowl, just make sure it's drained and dry). For added insurance, you can also do this with cheesecloth or a porous kitchen towel, if you like.
• Add eggs and 6 tablespoons chicken fat to the potatoes, and season with salt and plenty of pepper, mixing well. Heat another 2 tablespoons fat in a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high. (This recipe will work in a 9- or 10-inch skillet, but the kugel will be slightly taller in a 9-inch.) Delicately place the potato mixture into the skillet, taking care not to pack it in tightly. (You want to keep the kugel light and airy.)
• Cook the potatoes, rotating the skillet occasionally to promote even browning, until it's golden brown on the edges and up the sides, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Drizzle the top of the potatoes with the remaining 2 tablespoons fat and place in the oven. Bake until the top of the kugel is deeply golden brown, the edges are wispy and crispy, and the potatoes are completely and totally tender and cooked through, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Remove from oven and top with more pepper, chives and flaky sea salt. Slice and serve warm.

CRISPY POTATO-LEEK KUGEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Cut 4 potatoes into 1" chunks and place in a medium pot. Cover with cold water by 1". Season water generously with salt, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes. Drain well, transfer to a large bowl, and mash with a potato masher; set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium until shimmering. Add leeks, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and golden, 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes more. Remove pan from heat and let cool slightly.
• Grease bottom and sides of an 8x8" baking pan with 2 Tbsp. oil. Place pan in oven for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grate 3 potatoes and onion using the large holes of a box grater or a food processor fit with a shredding blade. Wrap potatoes and onion in a clean dishtowel or several layers of paper towels and squeeze out as much liquid as you can; add to the bowl with the mashed potatoes. Stir in sautéed leeks and garlic, eggs, 2 Tbsp. oil, 1 Tbsp. thyme, 2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper; mix until well combined.
• Thinly slice remaining 2 potatoes and toss with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. thyme, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Carefully remove preheated pan from oven and transfer potato-onion mixture to the pan (it should sizzle when it hits the hot oil). Smooth top with a spatula. Layer potato slices over the top in a shingled fashion. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 60-75 minutes. Heat broiler; broil kugel until crispy crust forms, 1-2 minutes, watching carefully so it does not burn. Let cool briefly, then cut into squares to serve.

POTATO KUGEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, matzo meal, salt and pepper., In a food processor fitted with the grating attachment, alternately grate potatoes and onion. Add to egg mixture; toss to coat. In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until warmed. Stir into potato mixture. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake 40-50 minutes or until golden brown.

LACY POTATO KUGEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Saute diced onion until nicely caramelized and golden.
• While onion is caramelizing, grate potatoes using the fine (smallest holes) disc in the food processor.
• Squeeze out liquid and place in a large mixing bowl.
• Process onions (don't change the blade) and pour the onion pulp and juices into the bowl with the potatoes.
• Stir in eggs, 5 tbsp. oil, salt, pepper and caramelized onions.
• Sprinkle starch on top.
• Pour boiling water over starch and stir thoroughly.
• Pour 1/4 cup of oil into a 9x13 baking pan and heat 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 degrees and bake for 40 minutes or until the top is a deep golden brown.

OLD FASHIONED POTATO KUGEL

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
• Combine the potatoes and onions in a large bowl. Mix in the eggs, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

POTATO KUGEL

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350, with a heavy 9-by-9-inch baking pan or 10-inch cast-iron skillet inside.
• Peel the potatoes, and place them in a bowl of water. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the salt and pepper until well combined.
• Using a food processor fitted with the grating plate, grate the onion. Drain the potatoes, then grate them. Quickly add the potatoes and onions to the eggs, and add the oil, flour and baking powder. Mix well. (You can also grate by hand; if you do so, grate the potatoes directly into the eggs and oil, and stir them frequently to coat. This helps slow their browning while you keep grating.)
• Remove the pan from the oven, and slick it with oil. Carefully but quickly add the potato mixture, smoothing it out so that it is as even as possible. Bake for 2 hours, or until the kugel is creamy in the center and the whole top is a rich, crunchy brown.

LITHUANIAN KUGELIS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place bacon in a Dutch oven set over medium heat, cover, and cook until the bacon has softened and begun to release it's grease. Stir in the onion and cook until softened and translucent. Remove the cover, and continue cooking and stirring until the mixture caramelizes and turns a deep, golden brown. Remove from heat and stir in butter to melt.
• Stir shredded potatoes into the onion mixture, then stir in the evaporated milk and eggs until well combined. Pour into a 9x13-inch glass baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until golden on top. Remove and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing into 3x3-inch squares. Serve hot.

POTATO KUGEL RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. By hand: Chop onions very finely and coarsely grate potatoes. With a food processor: Blend onions in food processor with regular blade until finely ground. Switch to grating blade and grate potatoes - I like to do this one their sides, for the longest strands. Both methods: Place onions and potatoes in a large bowl. Sprinkle salt, pepper and starch evenly over potatoes and toss together with two forks or, as I do it, your very clean hands, evenly coating strands. Break eggs right on top and again use forks or your fingers to work them into the strands, evenly coating the mixture. Heat a 1/4 cup oil or fat in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet** over high heat until very hot. Pour potato-egg mixture into pan carefully (it's going to splatter) and spread evenly in pan. I like to twist and tousle the top strands a little for a pretty final texture on top. Drizzle with last tablespoon of oil. Bake in heated oven for 75 to 80 minutes, until browned on top and tender in the middle. If top browns too quickly, before center is baked, cover with foil for all but the last two minutes of baking time, though this has never been necessary in my oven. Serve in squares, either right from the skillet or unmolded onto a platter. Kugel reheats exceptionally well in a warm oven. It keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days, and much longer (months, even) in the freezer. I like to defrost it in the fridge before rewarming it in an oven. * Cornstarch works too. As does flour. Matzo meal is traditional. I like potato starch because it's the least distracting and lightest. I buy mine from Bob's Red Mill; usually in a section with other BRM products at just about any store these days (hooray). ** Without a cast-iron - Use a casserole baking dish. Just heat the oil first so it's hot when the potato mixture lands in it. (You can do this in the oven, but it will take a good 5 minutes to get very hot. Might as well do it in 60 seconds on the stove.)

CHAVA'S THIN AND CRISPY POTATO KUGEL

Steps:

• Grate potatoes in the food processor.
• If you can grate with a large hole, use the largest.
• Grate onion.
• Place in large bowl.
• Add eggs, Beat them first.
• Add rest of ingredients including oil.
• Mix well.
• Place in a greased, large pan in a thin layer.
• Bake at 375 till brown and crispy.
• For extra crunchy kugel, add about 2 extra tablespoons of oil to the pan and place the pan in the oven to heat the oil, then put in the kugel.