Passover Potato Kugel
This potato kugel recipe offers a visual guide to achieving consistently crispy edges and a perfectly cooked interior. Mastering moisture control is key to the ideal balance of crispy exterior and tender interior.
Equipment
- 9x13 baking dish or pan
- Oven
- food processor or hand grater
- Large mixing bowl
- colander
- medium mixing bowl
- pastry brush
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 5 pounds russet potatoes (about 10 medium-sized potatoes)
- 2 whole large onions
- 6 eggs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 tablespoons potato starch (if not serving for Passover you may substitute corn starch)
- 1/4 cup butter or extra virgin olive oil (divided (butter gives amazing flavor; use olive oil to keep it vegetarian))
Instructions
Instructions
- Place a 9x13 baking dish or pan in the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees, letting the dish heat up inside. Peel the potatoes, then use a food processor or hand grater to grate them into large shreds.
- Place the potato shreds in a large mixing bowl and cover with cold water. Let the shreds sit for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel and shred the two large onions in the food processor or with a hand grater. Reserve.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt and pepper until fluffy.
- Drain the potato shreds in a colander, pushing down firmly on top of the shreds with your hands to push out the excess liquid.
- Place grated potatoes in a large bowl. Add the seasoned eggs, grated onions and potato starch to the bowl. Use your hands to mix all ingredients together until well combined.
- Take the preheated baking dish out of the oven. Quickly pour in 3 tbsp butter or olive oil, then use a pastry brush to carefully spread the fat around the bottom and sides of the hot dish. Careful, don't burn yourself! The hot dish, while a bit difficult to navigate, will help to form a beautiful brown and crisp crust for the kugel. Preheating the pan is critical for achieving a crispy crust. The initial sizzle when the potato mixture hits the pan contributes to this texture and browning, thanks to the Maillard reaction.
- Carefully and quickly spread the potato mixture into an even layer in the baking dish (it should sizzle!), then drizzle remaining 1 tbsp of melted butter or olive oil across the top.
- Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 60-70 minutes until the top is nicely browned all across the top. If it seems to be browning too fast (before the center is cooked), cover the kugel to keep it from over-browning. You really want it to have a nice golden crust-- at the end of cooking, if it's not quite brown enough, you can put it 6 inches below the broiler for a minute or two to evenly brown it all across the top. This kugel tastes best served hot directly from the oven. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Don't skip letting the kugel rest for a few minutes after baking. It allows the internal structure to set, making it easier to slice and serve, and it ensures you get a perfect potato kugel every time.
Nutrition
Calories: 197kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 5gFat: 5gSodium: 345mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1g
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