Wild Mushroom-Potato Kugel - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 ounce porcini mushroom, dried
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus oil for the pan)
3 cups onions, thinly sliced
salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
4 lbs baking potatoes, peeled
4 large eggs, beaten

Preparation

Soak the mushrooms in two cups of hot water for one hour, until soft; strain through a sieve lined with paper towel or a coffee filter.
Reserve the soaking liquid.
Rinse the mushrooms, pat them dry and chop them coarsely.
Heat the 4 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions and saute, stirring, until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the onions to a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
In the same skillet, place the mushrooms, garlic and mushroom liquid.
Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 400\u00b0F.
Generously oil the bottom and sides of a heavy baking dish (a 13\" x 9\" lasagna pan for example) (an enamelled, cast iron pan works best).
Grate the potatoes, transfer to a colander, rinse well, drain, and then squeeze out as much liquid as possible with your hands.
Combine potatoes in a large bowl with the onions, eggs, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.
Place the baking pan (empty) in the oven for a moment or two until the oil is just sizzling.
Remove the pan from the oven and layer half the potato mixture in the pan.
Spread the mushrooms over the potatoes, then add the remaining potato mixture, smoothing the top.
Drizzle a little olive oil on the top and bake the kugel about 50 minutes, until the top is golden and crisp.
Remove from the oven and let stand, until it reaches room temperature, at least 30 minutes.
Reheat 15 minutes at 350\u00b0F before serving.