Shlishkes

Fill a 3- or 4- quart pot halfway with water. Add the washed and scrubbed potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook for 25 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender. Drain the water from the pot, and set potatoes aside to cool.

In the meantime, whisk together matzah meal and potato starch, until well combined. Set aside.

Peel potatoes once they are cool enough to handle. Place potatoes into a large mixing bowl, season with salt to taste, and mash them with a potato masher until they are very smooth. Add egg and matzah meal/starch mixture, and kneed with your hands, until you have formed a dough which is easy to work and not sticky. Set dough aside to rest for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, fill a large pot with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil.

To prepare the crumbs, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Combine the matzah meal, ground almonds, sugar, and salt. Toast the crumbs for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Set aside.

Divide dough into 4 portions. On a clean surface, roll each portion of dough out gently and carefully into ropes, about ¾-inch thick. Use a clean knife to cut ropes into 1-inch pieces. Drop shlishkes, a few at a time, into the boiling water. Do not crowd the pot. Allow shlishkes to cook for about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on a platter lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining shlishkes. Immediately place the still slightly damp shlishkes in a single layer in the skillet of crumbs, in batches as necessary. Carefully toss with crumbs. Serve right away.

As seen in Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine Pesach 2012 – Subscribe Now