Crispy Savory Kugel Food

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.

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 SAVORY KUGEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Combine drained cooked noodles, eggs, 1/4 cup oil, and salt.
• Put second 1/4 cup of oil in a 9 x 9 or 13 x 9 pan.
• Place pan in hot oven for three minutes to heat up pan so noodles will be crispy.
• Put noodle mixture in hot pan.
• Cook 30 - 45 minutes until noodles are brown and crisp. Cut into squares and serve.

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.

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.

SAVORY NOODLE KUGEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook noodles uncovered in a large pot of boiling salted water over high heat about 4 minutes or until nearly tender but firmer than usual.
• Drain, rinse with cold water, then drain well again.
• Transfer to a large bowl.
• Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-low heat.
• Add onions and saute about 20 minutes or until very tender and light brown, (but not burned!) stirring occasionally.
• Add salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon paprika, and saute about 5 minutes or until well browned.
• Cool slightly.
• Stir onion mixture into noodles.
• Adjust seasoning, mixture should be seasoned generously.
• Add eggs and mix well.
• Oil a 2 quart baking dish and add noodle mixture.
• Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon oil, then dust with paprika.
• Bake uncovered 1 hour or until set.
• Serve from baking dish.

SAVORY NOODLE KUGEL

Steps:

• 1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish (or shallow casserole dish of similar size) with 1 tablespoon of the butter; set aside. 2. Melt 3 more tablespoons butter with the oil over high heat in a 12-inch nonstick skillet. Add the onions and ½ teaspoon salt; cook until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook the onions, stirring frequently, until they are golden brown and sweet, about 25 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. 3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot (with a perforated pasta insert, if available) over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the cauliflower; cook until the cauliflower is mostly tender but still slightly crunchy at the core, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to a paper towel–lined baking sheet using a slotted spoon (or by lifting out the pasta insert, if using). 4. Return the water to a boil and add the noodles; cook until almost tender but still firm to the bite, about 6 minutes. Drain the noodles, transfer them to a large bowl, and toss with 2 more tablespoons butter. Allow the noodles to cool to room temperature. 5. Add the onions, cauliflower, and eggs to the cooled noodles; toss to combine. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Pour the chicken broth evenly over the noodles and dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake until the kugel is warm, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the noodles on the surface are golden and the center is hot, about 20 minutes longer. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.