When it comes to comfort food, San Francisco cookbook author Micah Siva swears by potato kugel.
“Kugels, at their core, are baked casseroles,” she writes in her debut cookbook, “Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine” (The Collective Book Studio, $35). This recipe, which is great for Passover, comes out crisp and golden on the outside and creamy on the inside — akin to a shareable hash brown or a giant latke.
Cast-Iron Potato and Caramelized Onion Kugel
Serves 10 to 12
INGREDIENTS
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium yellow onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1½ teaspoons salt, divided
2 pounds (3 or 4) russet potatoes
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup matzo meal
Sour cream, coconut yogurt, crème fraîche or labneh, for serving, optional
Fresh chives, chopped, for serving
DIRECTIONS
In a 9-inch cast-iron pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat, until the oil is hot but not smoking. Add the chopped onions, spreading them evenly over the bottom of the pan. Decrease the heat to medium-low and let cook, undisturbed, for approximately 10 minutes.
Sprinkle the onions with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and broken down, 30 to 45 minutes. Once golden and caramelized, transfer the onions to a large bowl.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the cast-iron pan and place it in the oven to heat while you prepare the potatoes.
Fill a large bowl with ice water. Using a food processor fitted with the shredding disk, or a box grater on the largest hole, grate the potatoes. The potatoes will oxidize, so be sure to shred right before use. Add the potatoes to the bowl of ice water. Let sit for 10 minutes to remove excess starch.
Drain the potatoes, transfer them to a clean kitchen towel and wring out any excess liquid. The more liquid you can remove, the better! Add the potatoes to the bowl with the caramelized onions.
Add the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the eggs, pepper and matzo meal and stir to combine.
Carefully remove the cast-iron pan from the oven and spread the potato mixture in the pan, pushing it down to compact the potatoes. It should sizzle on contact with the pan. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 1 hour or until deep golden brown on top.
Serve with sour cream and chopped chives.
Note: The kugel can be prepared up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Variation: Add 1/2 cup chopped parsley to the kugel along with the matzo meal.
— Courtesy Micah Siva, “Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine” (The Collective Book Studio, $35)
