Jerusalem (Yerushalmi) Kugel
The sweet and peppery flavor of Jerusalem Kugel.
Kugel is noodle pudding. This uniquely-flavored savory kugel, of caramelized noodles spiced with black pepper, was brought to the city of Jerusalem by Eastern European Hasidic Jews in the eighteenth century. Thus the kugel is called Kugel Yerus
halmi, which means Jerusalem Kugel. Kugel Yerushalmi is traditionally eaten after Sabbath morning prayer services - either for kiddish or lunch.
This Sabbath delicacy is unlike any noodle pudding I have tasted before, this one features a sophisticated interplay of sweetness and peppery bite, with a subtle toasty flavor thrown in for good measure.
The taste is surprisingly easy to recreate at home; all you need is a sure hand and the confidence to make a quick caramel of oil and sugar. Just when you think you've got your sugar dark enough, cook it a minute longer--you'll see and taste the difference in the results. If you burn the caramel, start over--the second time's often the charm.
Although many American adaptations call for baking the kugel in a regular casserole dish, I prefer to bake mine in a soup pot or Dutch oven with less surface area, which creates a higher, denser end result.
Jerusalem (Yerushalmi) Kugel
Serves 10-12
One 16-oz. package thin egg noodles
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
6 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon finely ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook noodles according to package directions; rinse and drain well. In a heavy skillet, combine oil and sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar is very dark but not burnt, about 11-12 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, quickly combine drained noodles and caramelized sugar. Stir to incorporate. Let cool at least 10 minutes, then add eggs, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Grease the bottom and sides of a 6-quart soup pot or Dutch oven and pour noodle mixture into pot. Do not cover pot. Bake for 2 hours, or until kugel is very dark brown and top is crusty.
Note: if you prefer a more traditional kugel, yielding flatter, square servings, bake in a greased 9" x 13" casserole for about 75 minutes.
This could be prepared in a crock pot too, what I would do is: undercook the noodles; grease the crockpot, instead of the baking pan; after completing all stages through step 4, spoon the mixture into the crockpot. Cook it on the lowest setting.
