Kasha Varnishkes with Accelerated Schmaltz Onions
קאַשע וואַרנישקעס·(kah-shuh vahr-nish-kes)
Weeknight Suppers at Bubbe's Stovetop
Cold schmaltz from a jar hits the hot skillet, and the onions blister. You take a yellow box of Wolff's kasha, some supermarket farfalle, and a frankly irresponsible amount of chicken fat, skipping the hour-long onion purgatory with a dry-pan-and-deglaze technique that delivers savory deli flavor fast. Do not skip the egg wash—the protein coats the groats so they remain distinct and fluffy, standing between you and a pot of gray mush.
Before you start
Ensure your chicken stock is at a rolling boil before adding it to the kasha.
Adding cold or warm stock will disrupt the cooking process, bypass the egg-wash barrier, and lead to soggy grains.
Procure or render your schmaltz in advance.
Store-bought schmaltz from the kosher freezer section is perfectly fine, but having this ready is key to pulling this off on a fast weeknight.
Ingredients
- yellow onions3 large
- water1/2 cup
- rendered schmaltz5 tbsp
- medium or coarse roasted buckwheat groats1 cup
- egg1 large
- chicken stock2 cup
- farfalle pasta12 oz
- kosher saltto taste
- black pepperto taste
Method
- 01
Sear the dry onions in a wide skillet to rapidly draw out their internal moisture.
Place the sliced onions in a wide, dry skillet over medium-high heat, letting them release their water until a brown fond starts sticking to the pan.
- 02
Iteratively deglaze the pan with water to rapidly accelerate caramelization.
Whenever the onions threaten to burn, splash in a couple tablespoons of water and scrape up the browned bits, repeating this process three or four times over fifteen minutes.
- 03
Fry the softened onions in three tablespoons of schmaltz for the authentic deli finish.
Once the onions are deeply browned and sweet, stir in the rendered fat and fry for five more minutes until sticky, then remove the onions to a bowl but leave the residual fat in the pan.
- 04
Vigorously mix the raw buckwheat groats with the beaten egg until every single grain is coated.
The egg proteins dehydrate in the pan, forming a protective barrier that prevents the grains from exploding into a starchy paste when you add the liquid.
- 05
Toast the egg-washed kasha in the residual onion fat over medium-high heat.
Add the coated grains to the hot skillet and stir constantly for two to four minutes until the egg dries completely, the kernels separate, and it smells intensely nutty.
- 06
Pour the boiling chicken stock over the toasted kasha and simmer until tender.
Be careful as the hot liquid will violently sputter and steam when it hits the pan; stir it once, drop the heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for twelve to fifteen minutes.
- 07
Boil the farfalle in an aggressively salted pot of water until al dente.
The pasta must retain a firm, toothsome bite to contrast the softer kasha, so drain it thoroughly as soon as it is ready.
- 08
Toss the pasta, fluffed kasha, and schmaltz onions together in a large bowl.
Fold in the remaining two tablespoons of raw schmaltz for a glossy, rich finish, and season heavily with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper before serving.
Notes
The schmaltz is an absolute mandate.
You can technically use butter or vegetable oil, but you will lose the authentic savory poultry backbone that makes this taste like a mid-century New York deli.
Buy medium or coarse granulation kasha.
Fine granulation cooks entirely too fast and turns into a paste, completely ruining the distinct, fluffy texture we are fighting for.