Best Best-Ever Potato Knishes Recipes - Delish

Though you wouldn't know it now, the humble knish used to be the unofficial street food of New York City, right up there with pushcart hot dogs and dollar slices. Brought to the city by Eastern European (mostly Ashkenazi Jewish) immigrants at the turn of the 20th century, knishes quickly rose in popularity among working class New Yorkers. These hearty pastries—mashed potatoes, studded with bits of caramelized onion, enveloped in a thin crust—accomplished 3 things very well. They were delicious, they were filling, and they were extremely cheap. They were so cheap, in fact, that in 1916 the New York Times reported on a price-gouging war between two Lower East Side Knisheries; Max Green's was charging 5 cents a piece, while their new neighbors across the street were charging 3. As Jewish immigrants moved to new neighborhoods, the knish's popularity grew throughout the city. Fried knish companies popped up, making square, golden yellow potato bricks that were more durable, and easy for street vendors to stack in their carts. (Hot tip: Most knish lovers will tell you a fried knish is not a real knish.)

The knish's fall from stardom is up for debate. Some believe that as those primarily Jewish neighborhoods were gentrified, the knish businesses lost much-needed loyal customers. Other's cite the New York Health Department in the mid-nineties; under Guiliani they added cooked potato to their list of potentially hazardous foods, subsequently ticketing street carts for holding their knishes at unsafe temperatures. It wasn't long before this once ubiquitous snack disappeared from pretty much...everywhere.

Today, depending on where you live, you might be able to track a knish down. But thanks to this recipe, you need only turn to your kitchen! Making knishes is super easy, and a great canvas to experiment with your favorite flavors.

The below recipes include classic potato & onion knishes, spanakopita-style knishes, and samosa-style knishes. The simple potato filling is ripe for riffing—I chose to replicate some of my favorite flavors, but feel free to invent your own.

Pro Tips: I offer some measurements in the recipes below to guide you in the right direction, but making knishes is an inexact art. As long as you make the dough as directed, and your potato filling amount is in the ballpark of what's called for, you'll come out with a knish at the end. Don't be nervous about rolling your dough too thin, it is very elastic, and doesn't rip easily. 

I found steaming the potatoes resulted in a lighter, fluffier filling. If you don't have a steamer, fill a large pot with about 2" water, then fit a metal colander inside. (Make sure there are no plastic parts on your colander that could melt.) Place your potatoes in the colander, then cover with a lid. Alternatively—just boil 'em! Your knishes will still taste great.

Schmaltz, AKA chicken fat, is completely unnecessary, but it will give your knishes a major boost of flavor. If you're looking to make the most authentic knish, track down some good quality schmaltz.

Made these? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!