A knish is a baked buttery pastry often filled with mashed potatoes or kasha, both of which are filling foods. They are usually shaped as individual rounds, meant to be a handheld meal. Now they are filled with most anything and can even be found fried.

Where is the knish from?

The knish is from Eastern Europe and came to the US in the early 1900's. The first knish bakery opened in 1910 in the lower East side of NYC and remains a family owned business today. One day I hope to try these famous knishes! Then there is the Coney Island knish that can be found frozen and is shaped like a square.

What makes a good knish?

I am not an expert but this I will say... The dough on a knish should be crispy and flaky. It should contain a well seasoned filling that can hold up to a schmear of brown mustard .

Why was the knish popular?

A knish is cheap to make and very filling. Sold as a street food from carts, it was easy to turn a profit (if that's easy!).

One Big Potato Knish

Name: One Big Potato Knish
Prep time: PT-495487H20M8S
Cook time: 30 min
Cuisine: Jewish
Ingredients: 2 T olive oil, duck fat or schmaltz; 4 c diced onion; 2 garlic cloves minced; 3 lbs Russets or Yellow Finn peeled; 1 egg; 2 T duck fat, olive oil or schmaltz for mashing potatoes; 3/4 t fresh ground black pepper; 1/2 shaken envelope of Lipton's onion soup mix; 1 t spicy brown mustard or more; 2 sheets puff pastry (Jus-Rol) is what I used; Egg wash is 1 egg and 2 T of water beaten together; Sesame seeds; Mustard Sauce; 1/3 c brown mustard; 2 T horseradish or to taste or not at all; 1/2 c sour cream (Just make a mixture of horseradish, mayonnaise and mustard if you are doing dairy); 2 T mayonnaise

Description

I finally made a potato knish and it was a hit with everyone who tried it. Think mashed potatoes enclosed in a crispy puff pastry and you have the perfect comfort food.This very easy knish recipe is perfect for a crowd. Served with a mustard horseradish sauce, this potato recipe is filling and comforting.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 T olive oil, duck fat or schmaltz

4 c diced onion

2 garlic cloves minced

3 lbs Russets or Yellow Finn peeled

1 egg

2 T duck fat, olive oil or schmaltz for mashing potatoes

3/4 t fresh ground black pepper

1/2 shaken envelope of Lipton's onion soup mix

1 t spicy brown mustard or more

2 sheets puff pastry (Jus-Rol) is what I used

Egg wash is 1 egg and 2 T of water beaten together

Sesame seeds

Mustard Sauce

1/3 c brown mustard

2 T horseradish or to taste or not at all

1/2 c sour cream (Just make a mixture of horseradish, mayonnaise and mustard if you are doing dairy)

2 T mayonnaise

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Instructions

Peel potatoes, cut them into chunks, and place in pot with salted water covering the potatoes by about an inch. Bring to a boil covered on medium high heat. Uncover and reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer about 15-20 minutes, or until they are cooked through when pierced with a fork.

After draining, place them back on turned off burner for about 3 minutes to dry out.

While the potatoes are boiling, heat the fat of your choice in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add diced onions and cook while stirring occasionally until the onions caramelize and some of them have turned brown. Stir in the minced garlic and let cook a few minutes, being careful not to burn.

Mash potatoes with 2 T of fat of your choice and stir in one egg. Add salt, pepper and onion soup mix along with the mustard. Remember this is your recipe. If you want it saltier, spicier and more mustard, do not be afraid to add! Stir in the cooled onion mixture.

At this point I refrigerated the potato mixture overnight. However if you are continuing, unroll the puff pastry, keeping it on the parchment paper. Divide the mixture approximately in half and spread lengthwise down the edge of the pastry. Roll up lengthwise, shaping as you go. Repeat with the other sheet of pastry. Chill in fridge about 20 minutes.

Score with sharp knife into diagonal sections without cutting through pastry roll.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 425 about 30 minutes or until golden.

Serve with just mustard or make the above mustard horseradish sauce.

Notes

I made my potato mixture the day before baking and stored in the fridge.

After baking the next day, I kept on the counter overnight. I covered it loosely after it had cooled.

The next day I reheated at 350 degrees about 15 minutes and then sliced the knish.

Leftover knishes can then be refrigerated and kept up to 5 days but reheat in oven again until crispy.

These can also be wrapped and frozen after baking. Let thaw in fridge and then reheat at 350 until crispy and warm.

They can also be sliced into serving pieces and then frozen, making it easier to grab a knish for on the go! In this case I would thaw on the defrost temperature of the microwave and then bake as directed to heat up.

Baked knishes can also be served at room temperature but I prefer them warm.

Recipe can be halved.