Potato kugel HELP | Imamother

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 6:42 am

kugelEater wrote:

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

Red potatoes? Now that’s a new one.
Hey- maybe that’s the secret trick!
Thank you for your recipe.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 6:45 am

ima22 wrote:

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.

I’ve never dried my potatoes. Is it possible the water is ruining it?
Everyone says to work quickly but it takes time! Preparing the ing before is a good idea.

↑ kugelEater ↓

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 6:45 am

amother OP wrote:

Red potatoes? Now that’s a new one.
Hey- maybe that’s the secret trick!
Thank you for your recipe.

I do peel them but I find that they are much more juicy than white potatoes, which are more starchy. I definitely do still use white potatoes and the kugel still comes out delicious, but not the same. The red potato trick was also a recent discovery.
As you can tell from my SN, I like kugel Smile

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 6:47 am

kugelEater wrote:

I already added red potatoes to my shopping list. I’ll keep you posted.

Thank you.

↑ kugelEater ↓

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 6:47 am

amother OP wrote:

I’ve never dried my potatoes. Is it possible the water is ruining it?
Everyone says to work quickly but it takes time! Preparing the ing before is a good idea.

No I never do. I find that the water actually makes the kugel more juicy. I would not add water, but it's not a bad thing if the potatoes are wet. If your kugel is dry, I would not recommend this.

scintilla ↓

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 6:49 am

What kind of texture does your family like? Pureed or shredded? Or somewhere in between?

Mine love shredded and I use the recipe in the purple cookbook (spice and spirit) with Yukon gold potatoes. I follow it exactly except no baking powder (calls for 1/4 tsp). Comes out amazing every time but you must let it bake until all golden brown or even dark brown on top!!

The other important thing is not to let the potatoes get brown, this is much harder with Idaho/russet potatoes which your family may prefer too. My trick is getting everything else ready while the peeled potatoes are in a bowl of cold water. When the rest of the batter is 100% ready, even the pan, quickly shred the potatoes and mix them into the batter as fast as you can. It's like a matza bakery when I do it 😂 if you have too many potatoes to fit in your food processor at once, for best results mix in the first batch then rinse off the food processor because any residue left will make the second batch turn grey.

My other trick is, 5 minutes or so before I'm ready to put it in the oven, I pour a little oil in the pan and put it in the oven to heat up. Then I pour the batter into the hot oil and put it back in the oven immediately to bake. Gives it a great crispy top and outside.

Between carpools also has a great guide: https://betweencarpools.com/ba.....ugel/

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 6:59 am

kugelEater wrote:

No I never do. I find that the water actually makes the kugel more juicy. I would not add water, but it's not a bad thing if the potatoes are wet. If your kugel is dry, I would not recommend this.

Right, some recipes even call for water or seltzer.

Potato kugel has too many contradicting variables.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 7:01 am

scintilla wrote:

They like puréed!

Seems like not letting the potatoes brown is super important.

lol about the matzah bakery!

↑ kugelEater ↓

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 7:19 am

scintilla wrote:

If you process the potatoes alternately with the onions (2 pc potatoes, 1 pc onion...) that should reduce browning significantly.

amother

DarkGreen

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 7:19 am

I'm gonna chime in and join the potato kugel party!
My family never loved potato kugel and I kept on switching it up with ingredients or procedure until I finally figured it out and now they love it. It used to come out gooey, or just plain weird and I have tried anything and everything under the sun. The following is how I've been making it nowadays and it gets rave reviews:
(Some prep work must be done before and yes you gotta work quickly)

Preheat oven to 450

10 potatoes peeled and 6 chopped in half in a bowl or bekeleh with water
1 onion peeled and cut in half
10 eggs in a container, lightly beaten with a fork or mixed well
9x13 pan that has oil in it, I don't measure it, it'll probably be half a cup
3 heaping tsp of salt (I use the spoon from the cutlery drawer because I'm anyway using the fork from there, might as well use that spoon, the tea spoon not soup spoon)
A dash of black pepper

First I grate by hand 4 potatoes (really not a big deal and it goes quick), add in the 10 beaten eggs in there and mix so the shredded potatoes don't change colors. Then I use the S blade in the processor and grate the 6 potatoes with onion. Add that mixture to the egg potato mixture. Add the 3 tsp of salt and dash of black pepper.
I do put the pan with the oil in the oven for about 30 seconds and then add the potato mixture to the warm oil. With the fork, I mix it around and around to get the oil all over.
Put in oven for an hour
Then take it out of the oven, pour over the kugel 1/2 cup of percolator water, cover well, lower temperature to 350 and bake for 3 hours.

amother

↑ Mintcream ↓

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 7:20 am

amother OP wrote:

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

It’s 3 large potatoes. The ones that come loose.
An 8 x 8 pan is a square pan.

Put into food processor in this order-

3 extra large eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 large onion
Turn on food processor and add one potato at a time
After you add the last potato add
2 tsp of salt
Some black pepper

Pour into pan
Bake at 350 for close to 2 hours

If your family likes it more crusty on top (mine doesn’t), you can pour 1/2 cup of boiling water over the kugel before you place it in the oven

corolla

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 7:22 am

I use Esty Wolbes recipe and it turns out delicious.
One trick is to blend the eggs, oil, and onion in the food processor and then grate the potatoes into that shop at least some is coming into contact. Then pour it out into a large bowl or even straight into the pan and mix quickly.

amother

Peach ↓

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 7:43 am

My husband is a professional chef.
This is how he makes potato kugel at home
5 Lb potatoes
Either russet or Yukon gold
2 onions
1 cup water
1 cup oil
6 eggs
Salt, black pepper, garlic powder
Bake for about 1 hour to 1.5 hours at 375-400
The funny thing is I don't have a food processor but he dumps everything into a blender and it comes out amazing.

amother

Bellflower

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 7:57 am

this recipe gets served in shul each week and the men love it

10-12 idaho potatoes (depends on size)
small onion
1 plastic cup oil
8 eggs
1 tablespoon salt
dash of pepper

blend onion in food processor with s blade
add oil, eggs, salt and pepper mix till combined don't overmix

pour into 9x13 pan

3 potatoes use the stringy blade
rest of potatoes mushy blade

combine with egg mixture

I find I got to work quick and no slowly

I bake 450 hour

pour half plastic cup water over the kugel

finish cooking at 350 for a 2-3 hours covered well

amother

↑ Mintcream ↓

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 8:06 am

amother Peach wrote:

My mother used to make potato kugel in the blender! She probably made a small recipe (don’t remember).
How can 5lbs of potatoes fit in the blender?

amother

Bergamot

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 8:15 am

Cooking with tantrums has a good one. I follow her method but not exactly her recipe. Mine turns out amazing every time. I find the trick is to bake it on higher ... I bake it on 425-450. I get a very crunchy crust and super white smooth inside. I overnight it for shabbos day.

https://cookingwithtantrums.co.....ugel/

amother

Scarlet ↓

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 8:16 am

OP, everyone is talking about the recipe but I think what really makes it or breaks it with potato kugel is the blender and the oven. I’ve seen this many times.

For example, my mothers potato kugel has never come out very good. Mine usually comes out delicious. So one time I told my mother I’ll show her how I make mine. I made it at her house with the same speed, recipe etc but I used her blender and her oven and it came out tasting exactly like hers!

Also, I know many people who move to a new house and therefore have a new oven and their potato kugel never tastes the same again!

amother

Holly

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 8:27 am

The best potatoes for kugel are yukon. Hands down!
Use a food processor, specifically the braun of possible. I use the S blade to grate 2 small onions. I add to it 3.5 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and a half teaspoon garlic.
Add 6 blended eggs.
Then add almost a whole bag of peeled yukon using the kugel blade. Add together. Then mix in 1 cup HOT oil. Bake 425 for 1.5 hours.
Delicious!

Courtesy of bakesandsteaks