Cast Iron Potato Kugel
By Jessica RudolphPublished on February 14, 2020
Time
1¾ hours
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
Before You Begin
You can find rendered chicken fat (schmaltz) in the frozen foods section of larger supermarkets. If you can't find it, you can substitute extra-virgin olive oil. We prefer using the shredding disk of a food processor to shred the potatoes, but you can also use the large holes of a box grater. Making this kugel in a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet ensures that it will have a crisp crust, but if you don't have one, you can use a 10-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet. Serve with sour cream, if desired.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons chicken fat in 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
- Whisk 2 cups water and 2 tablespoons salt in large bowl until salt is dissolved. Fit food processor with shredding disk. Peel potatoes and halve or quarter lengthwise as needed to fit through processor feed tube. Shred potatoes. Transfer potatoes to salt water and toss briefly to coat.
- Drain potatoes in colander. Place one-quarter of shredded potatoes in center of clean dish towel. Gather ends of towel and twist tightly to wring out excess moisture from potatoes. Transfer dried potatoes to now-empty bowl. Repeat 3 more times with remaining potatoes. Stir eggs, pepper, onions, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt into potatoes until thoroughly combined.
- Heat remaining ¼ cup chicken fat in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add potato mixture to skillet and distribute into even layer but do not press down or smooth top. Cook for 1 minute to set bottom.
- Transfer to oven and bake until kugel is lightly browned on top, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges in skillet. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
Time
1¾ hoursYield
Serves 8Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We were after an easy yet supersavory potato dish that was crisp on the outside but had a tender, fluffy interior. We used shredded russet potatoes for their starchiness and treated them with a saltwater solution to keep them from oxidizing to an unappetizing gray tinge. We flavored the spuds with sautéed onions and a generous amount of rendered chicken fat (schmaltz) and added eggs to bind it all together. Using a preheated cast-iron skillet gave us an extra-crispy edge.
Before You Begin
You can find rendered chicken fat (schmaltz) in the frozen foods section of larger supermarkets. If you can't find it, you can substitute extra-virgin olive oil. We prefer using the shredding disk of a food processor to shred the potatoes, but you can also use the large holes of a box grater. Making this kugel in a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet ensures that it will have a crisp crust, but if you don't have one, you can use a 10-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet. Serve with sour cream, if desired.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons chicken fat in 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
- Whisk 2 cups water and 2 tablespoons salt in large bowl until salt is dissolved. Fit food processor with shredding disk. Peel potatoes and halve or quarter lengthwise as needed to fit through processor feed tube. Shred potatoes. Transfer potatoes to salt water and toss briefly to coat.
- Drain potatoes in colander. Place one-quarter of shredded potatoes in center of clean dish towel. Gather ends of towel and twist tightly to wring out excess moisture from potatoes. Transfer dried potatoes to now-empty bowl. Repeat 3 more times with remaining potatoes. Stir eggs, pepper, onions, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt into potatoes until thoroughly combined.
- Heat remaining ¼ cup chicken fat in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add potato mixture to skillet and distribute into even layer but do not press down or smooth top. Cook for 1 minute to set bottom.
- Transfer to oven and bake until kugel is lightly browned on top, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges in skillet. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
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