So I have a friend who sends me food every Succos. We daven in the same little shul, and our husbands are friendly. So a day or so before Succos, she called me to tell me she was sending over a trayof stuffed cabbage. I thanked her, and offered to send over a potato kugel – I was in the middle of making a batch at the moment. She told me she didn’t need potato kugel, but if I was making yapchik that would be lovely. ” Sure, absolutely, no problem,” I told her before we hung up.
Turning to my husband, I asked him ” Yapchik is potato kugel with meat inside, right?” He told me it was, that he had the chance to taste in shul. I smiled to myself, and began to make what I thought was yapchik. I sent it with my husband to take on his way to shul that night. After Succos, my friend called me. ” I just wanted to tell you, my husband said this yapchik was better than the ones he’s eaten before- he said it was different- there was meat all throughout and that was good.” I thanked her and went on my way..til I found out what I had made wasn’t yapchik. At least not in the traditional sense.
You see, I knew I couldn’t just put raw meat into raw potato kugel, bake it at 350 or 400 for 3 hours (how I usually bake my potato kugels) and expect it to be done. I couldn’t even do it even if I used chopped meat. So when I made what I thought was yapchik I used cold-cuts. Not just off the shelf- I used navel pastrami, 1st cut corned beef and genuine turkey breast. That explained why it was different – I’ve heard that with traditional yapchik the meat doesn’t mix all the way through.
So if it’s not yapchik, why am I calling it Amerikaner Yapchik? To me, it’s yapchik, and deli makes it completely American. The best part of this recipe? It cooks like regular potato kugel..and its even better the next day!
Click here for the Amerikaner Yapchik
The Ultimate Jewish Food Reinvented – Amerikaner Yapchik
Click on the link on the bottom or here http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipe/amerikaner-yapchik/
So, where is the recipe for yapchik — American, Israeli, or any place else?????????????
I love the story and the recipe! Can’t wait to try it!
Meat wrapped in potato? My husband wants me to make him this right. this. second.
Thank you very much! So many comments about this!
A little culinary trip never hurt anyone! Join us anytime!
I have never heard of yapchick before but now I am intrigued. Your deli version sounds amazing.
I’ve never heard of this before but it looks incredible! Definitely going to have to try this for Shabbos! Thanks for sharing the creativity!
Oh no..let’s see. It’s potato kugel, with deli in the middle. Like a deli-potato-kugel sandwich!
Looks so delicious! May have to leave my Italian comfort zone and head on over to the heimishe side 🙂
I am so confused… in the best of ways. I have never heard of yapchick but it sounds like one of those dishes I must make at least once.
Very very surprising, but I bet it works, will see what my guests think of it:)
I love that this is a bit healthier than the traditional version, I have to try it.
Ohmyohmyohmy, I have never had this dish but what can I say? Potatoes and deli? I don’t care what you call it, it sound divine and now that I’ve heard of it I have to try your untraditional one before I even contemplate anything other.
i never even heard of this dish! but sounds like something my family would go crazy for!