Potato kugel HELP | Imamother

amother

Wed, Feb 14 2024, 9:37 pm

I need help!
I am a fantastic cook and an accomplished baker. I bake challahs and countless of sourdough breads weekly. Plus intricate cakes and desserts. I cook gourmet meals daily.

BUT making potato kugel will be the end of me. I can not make a good potato kugel if my life depended on it.
It’s either gummy or runny or just green and gross.
If I do think I finally got it I find oil everywhere (luckily I always bake it on top of a large sheet pan)
I never know when it’s done and when it’s overdone.
Plus I find the work messy and time consuming and just not worth it.

I spoke to many chassidish women (don’t jump at me, they brand themselves as potato kugel gurus ) and they all have tricks and “the best recipe” but it always fails!!

Can someone please teach me every single thing there is to know about potato kugel?
Unfortunately for me, my husband and son ask for kugel weekly. I try offering perfectly cooked and seared steak instead, but they want (insert curse word) potato kugel!!

Thank you

Jewishmom8

Wed, Feb 14 2024, 9:53 pm

I actually find that the speed that I make it makes a big difference.
you cant let it sit on the counter very long at all.
a large onion
8ish large potatoes
4 eggs
black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 half cup oil
bake it an hour and a half on 350

amother

Carnation

Wed, Feb 14 2024, 10:46 pm

I don't have a "best" recipe, but I have a nice average potato kugel recipe that comes out either okay or good every week.

1) In large mixing bowl, put 6-8 eggs, 1 tsp+ salt, a glug or two of oil, and black pepper to taste (that just means I don't measure it). Mix it a bit.

2) Take out your food processor (mine is 12 cups) and put it on the grating blade. Turn it on. Feed through an onion, and 4-10 potatoes (until the processor bowl looks full). I use Idaho baking potatoes, and usually the biggest I can find.

3) Pour the contents of the food processor into the mixing bowl and mix until all the potato and onion shreds are coated.

4) Dump the entire bowl into a 9x13 pan.

5) Put the pan into the oven for at least 1.5 hours at 350 or 375.

The only time it comes out less than good is when I don't leave enough time to bake it.

It's not caterer potato kugel but it's very nice IMHO.

amother

Banana

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 12:52 am

Jewishmom8 wrote:

This is exactly my recipe too. Sometimes I add an extra egg if the potatoes were a bit large, and I often sprinkle the top with paprika before baking, for aesthetic purposes only.
Works every time. And I don't invest in any special type of potato, just regular white standard potatoes.
You can't overcook potato kugel, so don't be in a hurry to take it out the oven.
Forgot to add, I put in a peeled courgette too. Saw this tip from once of the known cooks out there.
Seriously it's a winner. Doesn't dry out because it has oil, and I don't make shallow kugel, nice tall ones.

amother

Saddlebrown

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 1:07 am

The trick to not having the potatoes brown is to use ONLY plastic bowl. And to move fast!
Here's my step by step
Preheat oven to 425 ans have 9 by 13 pan sprayed and ready to go
Fill up large plastic bowl with cold water.
In a diff large plastic bowl mix well:
6 eggs
2 tsp salt (a little more if you like more salty)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup seltzer
3/4 cup oil

Once that is all mixed together peel 10 potatoes and place them in water as you peel. Add 1 purple onion.

Working fast and in batches chop potatoes and onion and place in blender. Work as fast as you can. As you blend put in egg mixture. When all potatoes and onion are done mix pot and egg mixture well pour directly into 9by13 pan and place in preheated oven.

Bake at 425 for an hr then lower and bake at 350 for another hour.

enjoy!

amother

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 3:30 am

Jewishmom8 wrote:

The speed you blend the potatoes? Do tell.. what’s the speed? I do it at a 5-6.

Thank you for sharing your recipe.

amother

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 3:32 am

amother Carnation wrote:

You use the shredding blade or the mush one? Sorry I’m not sure how it’s really called.

amother

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 3:34 am

Dolly Welsh wrote:

Maybe try the julienne blade on the food processor. It makes little sticks instead of grinding up the potato.

I personally like this blade better. But my family claims I like it because I’m European, and Americans (aka my kids) like it with the other blade.
See, I told you , potato kugel is super complicated.

amother

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 3:35 am

amother Banana wrote:

You’re saying you can’t overcook kugel? I’ve had plenty of dry ones. What am I doing ???

kugelEater

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 3:36 am

I like using red potatoes, I find that the taste is much better.

9 very large or 12 medium potatoes (or equivalent if small)
5-6 eggs
heaping tbsp salt
pepper
1 c oil (about)
1-1.5 large onion or 2 medium/small

Heat oil in pan in oven at 350 for 10-20 mins. I usually put in before I start anything else and by the time I need it, it is good and hot.
In a large bowl, beat eggs together with salt and pepper.
Process potatoes alternately with onions. This prevents them from getting brown as the acid in the onions mixes with the potatoes. I use the Braun "kugel" blade, I find that shredding it just doesn't give a good texture.
Mix potato/onion mixture with eggs. Add hot oil- this keeps the mixture from separating into oil on top, potatoes in middle and eggs on bottom.

(For extra credit, spray the pans with oil before putting in the kugel mixture, and spray the top of the kugel as well. This just makes it more crispy on top and bottom. I only learned this trick recently and have been making yummy kugel for years without it, so it's not necessary. I don't always do it.)

Broil at 550 (250 C) for 13-15 min. Bake at 350-400 (180-200 C) for 1-1.5 hours.

This kugel is crispy on top and bottom, and gooey and yummy in the middle. Yum!!! writing out this recipe made me hungry LOL

Last edited by kugelEater on Thu, Feb 15 2024, 3:42 am; edited 1 time in total

amother

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 3:37 am

amother Saddlebrown wrote:

This is quite interesting. So no metal bowls ? Are Pyrex bowls ok?
Your instructions and recipe is clear. Thank you

amother

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 3:39 am

amother Mintcream wrote:

Why don’t you start with a small recipe?
I can give you simple instructions for an 8 x 8 pan of kugel if you want…

I’m ready to try anything.
I wonder how many potatoes are normally used to what size pan?
I’ve tried 5 in a 5x7 and 9-10 in a 9x13. Never tried 8x8

ima22

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 3:39 am

It's the speed from the time you start shredding until it starts cooking. I place the potatoes in cold water (slows the browning of the potatoes) and dry them on a towel right before grating. Have your oven preheated. (I like to start my kugel at a high temp 450/475 until the top starts to get crispy and then I lower it to 350). Have all your ingredients ready and mix potatoes with eggs as fast as possible. This minimizes the exposure of the potatoes to oxygen and browning. Mix quickly and get it into the oven. From first grating until oven should be 5-7 minutes.