Mushroom Knish
Pastrami Spice, Yukon Gold Potato, Onion, and Deli Mustard
Baker Sam Zeitlin of Zeitlin's Delicatessen | Chicago
Adapted by StarChefs | September 2021
INGREDIENTS:
Knish Dough:
100 grams rye flour
1 kilogram all-purpose flour
18 grams salt
10 grams baking powder
5 grams caraway seeds
305 grams vegetable oil
150 grams eggs
20 grams white distilled vinegar
305 grams seltzer
Pastrami Spice:
80 grams black peppercorns, ground
80 grams coriander seeds, ground
20 grams mustard seeds, ground
40 grams onion powder
30 grams paprika
80 grams paprika
8 grams smoke powder
70 grams brown sugar
For the Pastrami-Spiced Mushroom Filling:
1.525 kilograms peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes, submerged in water to avoid oxidation
65 grams salt, plus more for seasoning
2 kilograms mixed mushrooms, cleaned
135 grams neutral oil
250 grams julienned onion
Deli mustard
To Assemble and Serve:
1 egg
Deli mustard
METHOD:
For the Knish Dough:
To a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine all dry ingredients. While mixing, drizzle in oil until flour looks like coarse sand. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, vinegar, and seltzer. Slowly incorporate liquid into flour until dough comes together into a cohesive mass. Split dough in half. Wrap and chill for 1 day.
For the Pastrami Spice:
To a large bowl or container, add all ingredients. Stir to combine.
For the Pastrami-Spiced Mushroom Filling:
In a large pot, combine potatoes, 30 grams salt, and 1.5 kilograms water. Bring water to a simmer and continue simmering until potatoes are tender. Drain potatoes into a colander and let sit 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 500°F. In a mixing bowl, toss together mushrooms, 50 grams Pastrami Spice, 100 grams oil, and 30 grams salt. Spread mushrooms out on a parchment-lined sheet trays and cook 10 minutes, checking halfway to make sure they are not burning. Meanwhile, in a pan over low heat, cook onion in remaining salt and oil until very soft. Transfer cooked potatoes, mushrooms, and onion to a large bowl and weigh. Using 2% weight of potato mixture, add mustard. Mix and mash to combine. Taste and season as needed.
To Assemble and Serve:
Roll out ½ of Knish Dough into a large square. Using a square or large circle nylon cutter, cut out dough. Scoop an 85-gram ball of Pastrami-Spiced Mushroom Filling into center of 1 pastry. Carefully scrunch up sides into a symmetrical square. Repeat with remaining Knish Dough. Transfer knishes to parchment-lined sheet trays and chill 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine egg with 1 ounce water then brush egg wash over knishes. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with mustard.
