Israeli•comfort

Jerusalem kugel

Translated and adapted by Ariel Kahn, from a recipe in Food by Sherry Ansky (Keter, Jerusalem 2003, p. 144)

Ingredients

Quantities are shown as originally provided.

1
Cook the noodles in boiling salted water until they are soft, but not too soft, around 3-4 minutes.
2
Heat the oil and sugar in a deep pot. Cook over a low heat, tipping the pot gently from side to side without stirring it, until the sugar melts and caramelises (around 10 minutes). Immediately, but with great care, add the cooked noodles and stir. Don’t worry if some of the caramelised sugar hardens into granules.
3
Crack the eggs and add them, together with the black pepper, and stir until you see that the pepper has been fully mixed in. Taste, and add a little salt if necessary.
4
Heat the oven to 90-100C (195-215F). Heat a little oil in a medium lidded pot which can go in the oven, pour the noodle mixture into it, flatten with the aid of a spoon, and cover with baking parchment cut into a circle at the mouth of the pot (without the parchment the kugel will dry out and burn). Pour a little oil onto the parchment, then cover the pot with its lid. It I advisable to wrap the pot in a large sheet of foil. Put in the preheated oven. Cook for 7-10 hours. I f you think the kugel is too dry and getting burnt, Add a little water to the pot. If you cover the pot properly, it won’t happen.
5
Eat with pickled cucumbers.