Around the Shabbat Table (16 page)

IN
a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook, lifting and tossing with a spatula as they soften and become golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. The mixture should be well salted and peppery, so season accordingly. Set aside to cool.

DICE
2 (if large) or 3 (if medium) of the potatoes and place in a saucepan of salted water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are tender. Mash the potatoes, using a ricer, food mill, or masher, until smooth, and place in a very large bowl. Stir in about half of the fried onions, setting the rest aside.

PREHEAT
the oven to 400°F.

GRATE
the remaining potatoes using the medium shredding disk in a food processor or over the large holes of a hand grater. Place the grated potatoes in a colander or large strainer and rinse well under cold water to remove most of the starch. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible, then add them to the mashed potatoes. Beat the eggs in another bowl until thick and light. Whisk in the baking powder. Combine the eggs with the potatoes and season generously with salt and pepper.

POUR
3 tablespoons oil into a large, shallow baking pan (13 by 9-inch or similar size, preferably enameled cast-iron or metal, not glass). Thoroughly rub the oil around the bottom and sides of the pan and place in the oven until sizzling hot. Transfer the potatoes to the pan and spread with a spatula; top with the remaining fried onions. Sprinkle with the rosemary. Drizzle with the extra virgin oil. If you love salty crusts, you may want to sprinkle a bit more coarse salt and some pepper over the top.

BAKE
for about 30 minutes on the uppermost shelf of the oven, then turn the temperature down to 350°F. Continue baking for 25 to 40 minutes longer, until the kugel is firm, the top is golden, and the onions are crispy.

LET
the kugel cool until set. If necessary, reheat before serving.

FRESH CORN KUGEL

yield:
6 TO 8 SERVINGS

Thickened only by creamy pureed corn kernels and scented with flowery dill, this summery kugel depends for sweetness on truly fresh corn, whose sugars have not yet begun the descent into starch. Pale white corn will produce an exquisitely subtle kugel; more robust yellow kernels make for a richer pudding with a decidedly corny taste.

¹
⁄
₂
cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon mild olive, canola, or avocado oil, plus additional for greasing the pan

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3
¹
⁄
₂
cups fresh corn kernels, cut from 3 to 7 ears of sweet corn (the number of ears will depend on whether you use the slim, silvery white–kernel corn or thicker, butter-yellow varieties)

1 cup chicken broth, preferably
homemade
or good-quality, low-sodium
purchased

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons toasted matzoh crumbs (egg matzohs are especially nice) or
toasted matzoh meal

PREHEAT
the oven to 325°F.

IN
a 7- or 8-inch skillet, sauté the onions in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until very soft, 7 to 8 minutes. The onions should remain tender and sweet, so don't allow them to color past gold. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside to cool.

PUT
2 cups of the corn in a food processor or blender. Add
¹
⁄
₂
cup of the broth and puree the mixture until smooth, scraping down the bowl when necessary. Add the remaining
¹
⁄
₂
cup broth, salt and pepper to taste, and pulse to combine well.

LIGHTLY
grease the bottom and sides of a 12-inch gratin dish or shallow 3-quart baking pan.

IN
a large bowl, beat the eggs until thick and light. Stir in the dill, the cooled onion, the pureed corn, and the remaining 1
¹
⁄
₂
cups whole corn kernels. Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish.

SEASON
the matzoh crumbs with salt and pepper, and sprinkle over the top of the kugel.

PLACE
the gratin dish inside a larger baking pan and pour enough boiling or scalding-hot tap water to come two-thirds of the way up the sides of the gratin dish. Bake the kugel for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the golden brown top is puffed slightly and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

LET
the kugel cool for at least 25 minutes, until set, before cutting into wedges to serve. Reheat if necessary.

  

SAUTÉED CABBAGE AND GARLIC NOODLE KUGEL

yield:
6 TO 8 SERVINGS

Like potatoes, beets, and carrots, protean cabbage turned up on Ashkenazi tables in many forms, from tart sauerkraut to a sugared filling for delicate strudel dough, not to mention lusty cabbage soup and meat-stuffed cabbage rolls. A favorite among Central European Jews was an irresistible tangle of sautéed cabbage ribbons and golden egg noodles, lavishly sprinkled with poppy or caraway seeds.

First parboiled, the cabbage is then lightly browned, intensifying its flavors to a nutty sweetness, which is heightened by the poppy seeds. Garlic cloves—lots of them—are my addition. They're very slowly sautéed until the olive oil is deeply flavored and the garlic is soft and mellow.

I've also added eggs and broth, and made the recipe a kugel, or baked pudding. Sturdy, economical dishes that can be cooked ahead and reheated for holiday meals, kugels were originally starchy puddings baked along with the Sabbath cholent. Eventually, they became very popular and Jewish cooks began baking them in separate pans, binding the ingredients—savory or sweet—with eggs and thickening them with various starches. They remain well-liked today, especially potato and noodle puddings, for preparing a kugel is an excellent way to avoid last-minute preparation and give “staying power” to a side dish or vegetable.

This kugel complements any grilled or roasted meat or chicken.

2 tablespoons
toasted matzoh meal
or toasted bread crumbs

One medium-to-large head of green cabbage (1
¹
⁄
₂
to 2 pounds)

Salt

8 ounces medium flat egg noodles (not the twisted spiral kind, which won't absorb as much of the flavoring)

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for greasing the pan

¹
⁄
₄
cup garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons poppy seeds

Freshly ground black pepper

6 large eggs

2 cups chicken broth, preferably
homemade
,
Vegetable Stock
, or good-quality, low-sodium
purchased

PREPARE
a 13 by 9-inch baking pan: grease it well and sprinkle the bottom with the matzoh meal, shaking out any excess.

START
the cabbage: discard any bruised or tough outer leaves, then cut the head into six wedges. Trim away the hard center core. In a large pot or Dutch oven, bring 4 to 5 quarts cold water and 1 tablespoon salt to a rolling boil. Add the cabbage, and cook, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cabbage is just tender. Reserving the cooking water in the pot, scoop out the cabbage with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a colander to drain.

BRING
the reserved cabbage cooking water back to a boil in the pot and in it cook the noodles until they are just tender. Drain them well, then transfer to a large bowl and toss them with 1 tablespoon of the oil.

IN
a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet, warm the remaining 4 tablespoons oil over very gentle heat. Add the garlic and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the garlic turns palest blond, 8 to 10 minutes. Scoop out the garlic with a slotted spoon and set it aside in a small bowl. Reserve the oil, now deliciously infused with garlic, in the skillet.

PREHEAT
the oven to 350°F.

USING
your hands, squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the cabbage. (Alternatively, you can press down on the cabbage with the back of a spoon, if you are reluctant to use your hands, although I find this method less efficient.) Lay the cabbage between layers of paper towels and press to remove surface moisture. Slice the cabbage into coarse shreds, then cut the shreds into bite-size pieces.

HEAT
the reserved garlic oil in the skillet over moderately high heat. Toss in the cabbage and sauté, lifting and turning over high heat, until it is flecked here and there with a nutty brown, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved garlic and the poppy seeds, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes to marry the flavors. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool slightly.

ASSEMBLE
the kugel: in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and broth until smooth. Stir in the noodles and the cabbage, and combine thoroughly. Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish and bake for 50 minutes, or until the kugel feels firm, its lightly browned edges are pulling away from the sides, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

ALLOW
the kugel to set for at least 25 minutes before cutting into squares to serve. Reheat if necessary.