Potato kugel — truly, it’s as close as I think Jews come to agreeing on nirvana. Even Sephardi Jews, who mock the Ashkenazi kitchen, see the light when it comes to potato kugel. It is the perfect combination of potato, oil, salt, and heat. The outside is crunchy, the inside melts in your mouth. It is the perfect Shabbat food, as it doesn’t mind being made ahead of time, refrigerated or frozen, and then reheated on the hot plate. I can actually quite happily sit down with a spoon and a whole kugel the way others sit with a tub of ice cream and devour the whole thing straight from the oven. But I have responsibilities — and one of them is not finishing the kugel on my own.

This recipe makes two medium kugels in standard 2 lb (900 g) loaf tins (23 x 13 x 7 cm) or four small kugels in 1 lb (450 g) loaf tins (21 x 11 x 6 cm). Whichever size you use, be sure to oil the bottom of each tin before heating. I always place the tins on top of a baking tray, as the kugels tend to spill oil everywhere. The tray catches any spills and my oven doesn’t start smoking.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 medium onions, peeled
• 2 kilo (4.4 lbs) potatoes, peeled
• 6 medium eggs
• 60 ml (¼ cup) oil
• 2 teaspoons table salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 40 g (¼ cup) potato starch
• 235 ml (1 cup) boiling water
• 2 tablespoons oil (for the bottom of the pans)

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven: To 200℃ (400℉).
2. Process the onions: In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, process the onions until they look like a mushy mess. Remove from the processor and place in a large bowl.
3. Grate the potatoes: Replace the blade of the food processor with the fine grating disk, grate the peeled potatoes, and add them to the onions in the bowl.
4. Heat the oil: Place a couple of tablespoons of oil at the bottom of each baking dish. Place the baking dish(es) on top of a baking tray and put them in the oven so the oil heats up (about 10 minutes) while you mix the kugel ingredients together.
5. Mix the batter: To the bowl of potatoes and onions, add the eggs, oil, salt, and pepper and mix well. Sprinkle the potato starch on top of the mixture, pour the boiling water over everything, and mix well.
6. Fill the pans: Carefully take the pans with the hot oil out of the oven. Fill each baking dish ¾ of the way full with the potato kugel mixture.
7. Bake the kugels: Bake for 1 hour for smaller kugels, or approximately 1 hour 20 minutes for larger ones. Loosely tent with foil if the tops are getting too brown. Bake until cooked through and golden brown.
8. Rest before serving: Let the kugel sit in the pan for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow it to set properly and slice cleanly.

MAKE AHEAD:

• Kugel can be made up to 2 days in advance. Cool completely, cover well, and refrigerate.
• To reheat, cover with foil and warm in the oven or on the hot plate until heated through, then uncover for the last 10–15 minutes to restore the crust.
• It also freezes beautifully; Once cooled, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above — covered first, then uncovered to crisp the top.