Bubba's Potato Kugel

Steve writes:
At the risk of alienating the porn purists in our group, I am submitting a recipe that came down to me from my Bubba (Yiddish for grandmother) through my mother. Please note that my grandmother was almost illiterate but was a great cook. Quantities were often measured in "shitarrein" quantities - literally "throw the shit in" which usually meant handfuls. I've tried to be more precise, but I sometimes play fast and loose and it works out fairly well, within 3 or 4 percentage points 19 times out of 20. Kugel is yiddish for pudding but when cooked, the consistency is not pudding like at all. I use a food processor, but my bubba and even my mother used to grate the potatoes by hand!!

Ingredients:
(Serves 12)

• 1/4 cup shmaltz (rendered chicken fat) - I'm more conscious of my cholestrol so I use Canola oil
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 6 eggs (I've used 3 or 4 and it works just fine)
• 12 medium potatoes
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (give or take)
• 2½ tsp salt (to taste)
• ½tsp pepper (to taste)

1. Blend eggs, onions and fat in a food processor. Set aside in a large bowl.
2. Grate potatoes, rinse and drain in a colander (it makes a mess, so don't be too particular in this step).
3. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Coat a 9 x 13 inch roaster with fat - or oil (I use a ceramic lasagna pan to get it crispy but I've also used pyrex). Heat the pan it in a 350 oven for 5 minutes.
5. Place mixture into pan and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 350 or until golden brown. Test it with a tooth pick and if it's too wet, continue cooking. We like it slightly moist so we can re-heat at will should there be left-overs.

*Ted's Note: Coincidentally, the next recipe I intended to post was to be Nana's Mock Fish Cakes, which is an almost identical recipe. In fact, I will still post it, so look for it in the index.

Contributed by Steve (daytimer1947)