Grandma's Luchshen Kugel
"Luchshen" is Yiddish for noodle, and a "kugel" is a casserole. There are a great variety of luchshen kugels out there... and they can be either sweet or savory, or somewhere in between. My grandmother's kugel is a fairly simple one, and falls in the 'somewhere in between' category. It's a reliable old favorite that is easy to make, complements many dishes and refrigerates well. She made it every shabbos without fail.
Ingredients
- 12 oz. wide width egg noodles
- vegetable shortening or preferably schmaltz (chicken fat)
- 3 eggs
- 1 scant tsp of kosher salt
- 7-8 shakes (grinds) of pepper
- 1 mounded tblspn sugar
- 1 - 2 handful of raisins
Method
Boil water in a 5 - 6 quart pot - about 2/3 full Add a small amount of salt Add egg noodles and cook at a slow boil for 8 minutes Drain noodles in a collander and run cold water over same Grease an 8x8 baking dish (glass) thoroughly - sides and bottom. Use 1 tblspn of chicken fat for the best flavor (you can make your own rendered fat or most butchers sell it in small tubs) In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Mix in the sugar, salt and pepper. Mix in the raisins very well - they tend to clump Mix in the noodles until thoroughly coated. Dump into 8x8 baking dish. Bake at 325-350 F until a golden brown crust forms around the edges - usually 1 hour.
Luchshen kugels vary in consistency from almost mushy to fairly stiff and crisp. This one is not particularly moist, and so usually has a fairly stiff consistency and a crisp top. If I use a square baking dish (I almost always do) I usually divide the kugel into 9 square pieces - and it can be easier to cut with a kitchen scissors rather than a sharp knife... although a knife will do.