Regular potato knishes are made by enclosing a seasoned mashed potato filling in a strudel-type dough. Since white flour is not kosher for Passover, and matzoh-based products do not produce the right type of stretchy dough, these are made in a totally different way. The mashed potato mixture itself becomes the dough, and the fried onions become the filling. These are a bit tricky to make, but with a few tips and some practice, they are well worth the effort because they are delicious and can be made and frozen ahead in trays and then just warmed up as needed.
In previous years, certified kosher for Passover peanut oil has been available, and I would use it in this recipe and any other recipe that called for potatoes. In the last two to three years, the powers that be have evidently decided that peanut oil is no longer kosher for Passover and I have not been able to find it anywhere. This year, all the Passover vegetable oil brands I encountered were made of either cottonseed or grapeseed oil, so unless I want to use olive oil, which is not a neutral flavor, I am stuck using an oil I really don’t like. I wish I knew why a product that I have used for 30 years suddenly becomes not kosher for Passover.
Among the tips for making this process a little easier: Use a floury potato, such as russet, for the dough. Make sure the potatoes have thoroughly drained and dried before mixing them, still warm, with the other ingredients. Make the dough and refrigerate it the day before forming the knishes so that it has a chance to firm up. Chop the onions very fine so that they do not poke through the dough. Use very well-oiled hands. An ice cream scoop is a good tool for apportioning the dough.
Passover Potato Knishes
- 4-1/2 cups mashed potatoes (approximately 2 lbs. potatoes)
- 3 large or extra-large eggs
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 cup matzoh meal
- 1 large Bermuda onion
- vegetable oil (preferably peanut if it ever becomes available again)
Make a dough by mixing the first five ingredients. Refrigerate dough for a least two hours, but preferably, overnight.
Generously oil your hands.
Spoon off enough dough to make a pancake two inches in diameter in your hand.
Put one tsp. of browned onions in the center.
Pull edges of the circle together to form a ball. Pat into a patty shape.
Flip over and put on an oiled baking sheet.
Bake at 375°F. for 30 minutes, or until nicely browned.
Makes 20. These can be frozen. To rewarm, bake in a single layer, uncovered at 350°F. until just heated through.
