Kash Varnishkes

One of the most beloved dishes of Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, kasha varnishkes is a study in thrift and flavor. Toasted buckwheat groats (kasha) get tossed with a beaten egg, which coats each grain with protein and keeps them from clumping during cooking. A half-hour rest lets the egg dry and set, a step most home cooks skip and live to regret.

Caramelizing the onions in schmaltz (or goose fat here) with a pinch of sugar is the flavor foundation. Skipping the goose fat for vegetable oil works but loses that traditional rich, savory depth. Dried porcini mushrooms rehydrated in warm water add deep umami that fresh mushrooms alone can’t match.

Bowtie pasta (the “varnishkes” part of the name) gives textural contrast to the tender grain. The result is deeply savory, hearty, and utterly satisfying cold-weather food.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t skip the 30-minute dry for the egg-coated kasha. Wet grains steam together into porridge instead of staying separate.
• Caramelize the onions slowly. Rushed onions means pale kasha with no sweet depth.
• Save the porcini soaking liquid and strain through cheesecloth. Add it to the broth for even more flavor.
• Use a tight-fitting lid for the final simmer. Steam escape leaves the kasha undercooked and the grains tough.

Variations

• Use schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) in place of goose fat for the most traditional Ashkenazi flavor.
• Skip the meat fats entirely and use olive oil with vegetable stock for a vegetarian version.
• Add a handful of fresh dill or parsley at the end for brightness against all that savory richness.