Potato Knish (Russia)
There was a time when you could buy knishes on the streets of New York the same way you buy hot dogs today. Knishes were originally a Russian food. They found their way to New York with the millions of Russian immigrants who came here in the 1900s. Some of those immigrants became street peddlers, selling knishes on busy New York sidewalks. For a nickle, you could buy a hot, delicious knish and gobble it down as you walked. The perfect portable snack.
Ingredients for the filling
2 baking potatoes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper
Ingredients for the dough
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons oil for brushing over the knishes
Equipment you’ll need
cutting board and knife
measuring cup and spoon
mixing bowl
fork
large pot
frying pan with a cover
cookie sheet
1. Start by making the dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt, stirring with a fork until well mixed. Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the egg, oil, water and vinegar. Stir in small circles to mix the wet ingredients. Now make the circles bigger to draw in the flour. Stir until a dough forms. Now use your hands to gather dough into a ball. Knead on a clean work surface for about 5 minutes, until is very smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest while you make the filling.
2. After rinsing the potatoes, cut them in half and place in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil. Cook until soft when poked with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove potatoes from pot and let cool a little. Meanwhile, place a frying pan over a low flame. Add the butter, oil and onion. Cover and cook until very soft, about 15 minutes. Be careful not to let the onion burn. Remove the cover and cook for another five minutes, stirring often, until onions are golden brown. Peel potatoes and mash with the cooked onions. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat oven to 375.
4. Divide dough into four pieces. Take one piece and pat it into a flat circle. (Leave the rest of the dough under plastic wrap). Now use a rolling pin to roll it as thin as you can. It should be less then 1/8 inch. Cut circles out of the dough using a 3 inch biscuit cutter. Place a ball of potato filling in the middle of the circle. It should be the size of ping pong ball. Stretch the dough over the filling, draping it across the top so the filling is enclosed. (Look at the picture on the next page to see how this is done). Brush the knish with oil, (you can use your fingertips for this job) then place on a greased cookie sheet. Keep making knishes until all the dough is used up.
5. Bake knishes for 20-25 minutes, until they are golden. Eat while they’re still warm.
