Yerushalmi Kugel
Yerushalmi kugel is a noodle kugel, which originated in Jerusalem sometime in the 1700s and is popular for Hanukkah. Here, cooked noodles are tossed with a mixture of caramelized sugar, oil, eggs, salt and a generous amount of pepper. The result is sweet kugel with an assertive, peppery heat and lots of crispy bits.
Traditionally, Yerushalmi kugel is made with thin egg noodles, but you can substitute with angel hair pasta, which will make the dish vegan; feel free to use the entire package of angel hair pasta, if that's what you have on hand, which normally comes in 1-pound/454-gram packages.
Refrigerate for up to 5 days; gently reheat in a 350-degree oven until warm and crispy.
Ingredients
- One (12-ounce/340-gram) package thin egg noodles or angel hair pasta (see headnote)
- 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook the noodles according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly, transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
Step 2
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch square pan with oil and set aside.
Step 3
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar and oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar turns medium brown, about 10 minutes. (The sugar might seem lumpy at first; it will eventually sink to the bottom of the pan and darken. Don’t expect it to become homogeneous with the oil.)
Step 4
Pour the oily mixture over the cooled noodles and, using tongs, carefully toss to distribute and separate the lumps (some will remain and that’s okay, the solidified caramel will remelt during baking). Let the mixture cool until just warm, about 15 minutes, before adding the eggs.
Step 5
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt and pepper. Add to the noodle mixture and toss to distribute evenly.
Step 6
Transfer the noodle mixture to the prepared pan, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes, or until the kugel is browned on top and you see individual crispy noodles, especially in corners.
Step 7
Cut into slices and serve hot or warm.
