Whenever she came to visit us in Palo Alto, my grandma Mildred would make her incredibly delicious potato kugel. It served as a powerful magnet for my friends who were, as they put it, on “kugel alert”. Especially on Fridays, when she would make a fresh batch.


Method

• Preheat oven to 200°C.

• Grate the potatoes and onions on the large holes of a box grater or using the large shredding disc of a food processor. Place the grated potatoes and onions on a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.

• Transfer the grated vegetables to a large bowl and mix with the eggs, 80ml of the oil, the flour, salt, and pepper, ensuring the potatoes are evenly coated. If you don’t mind eating raw egg, taste the batter to make sure the salt level is to your liking.

• Place a 23×33cm or 25×35cm ceramic or metal baking dish on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Add the remaining 80ml oil to the baking dish, place it in the oven, and heat until the oil is very hot.

• Using oven gloves, carefully remove the baking dish from the oven, stir the batter, gently spoon the batter into the dish, and spread it out evenly, making sure not to splash the hot oil. If some of the oil comes up the sides, use a spoon to carefully spread the hot oil over the top of the kugel.

• Return the kugel to the oven and bake until the exterior is very crisp and deep golden brown for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. (It might seem like it’s taking for ever for the top to brown, but it will!)

• Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and sprinkle with more salt, if desired. Serve hot, or cold from the fridge the next day, when it might remind you of a piece of Spanish tortilla española.
  
  Recipes adapted from SHABBAT (Avery, a division of Penguin Random House) Copyright @ 2023