Potato Kugel With Fried Shallots
Buy or find
Vegetable oil, 1 cup
French shallots, 4, peeled and thinly sliced
Starchy potatoes (such as russet or Idaho), 2.2 kg, coarsely grated
Brown onion, 1, coarsely grated
Potato starch, 1/3 cup
Kosher salt, 1 tbs
Freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp
Fresh nutmeg, a pinch, grated
Eggs, 5, beaten
Egg yolks, 2, beaten
Olive oil, 1/2 cup
Boiling water, 1 cup
Do
Extract the starch from the potatoes by placing them in a bowl and covering them with water. Leave them to sit for 1 minute or two then drain the water into another bowl. Retain this water. Place the potatoes in another bowl and cover with water to prevent them from going brown. Leave the bowl of starchy water to sit for 20 minutes and the starch will sink to the bottom of the bowl. Carefully tip the water out of the bowl so as not to disturb the starch. Spoon the starch into a bowl and reserve until needed.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius (fan-forced).
Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan, until shimmering.
Add the shallots and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp.
Transfer the shallots to a plate, using a slotted spoon.
Reserve the shallot oil.
Drain the potatoes.
Squeeze as much of the liquid in batches using a tea towel and transfer them to a large bowl as you go.
Add the grated onion, potato starch, salt, black pepper and grated nutmeg to a large bowl and stir well.
Add the whole eggs, egg yolks, olive oil and boiling water, then stir in the fried shallots.
Heat two cast iron skillets over a high heat until they are very hot to the touch.
Add 2 tbs of the shallot oil and heat until smoking.
Carefully spread the potato mixture in the sizzling baking dishes.
Transfer the potato kugels to the oven and bake them for 20 minutes.
Reduce the temperature of the oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced) and bake the kugels for 40 minutes longer, until golden and crisp on the sides.
Preheat the grill and grill the kugels for about 2 minutes or until they are browned and crisp on top.
Let the kugels stand for 20 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.