Pierogi

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH:

• 2 cups flour

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 large egg, beaten

• ½ cup sour cream

• 4 TBS unsalted butter, room temperature

POTATO AND CHEESE FILLING (Makes 40 pierogi):

• ¾ lb Yukon Gold potatoes

• 1 ¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

• Salt and pepper

ADDITIONAL NEEDS:

• 2 large shallots, halved and sliced

• 4 TBS unsalted butter

• Sour cream and/or apple sauce (for serving)

• Chives, chopped (for topping)

• Paprika and pepper (for topping)

GO FOR IT

DOUGH:

1. In a large bowl, mix flour and salt

2. Add beaten eggs and combine until dough is clumpy

3. Add in sour cream and butter and mix until a rough and sticky ball forms

4. Knead and fold until ball is less sticky but still moist (if too dry wet your hands with water as your knead)

5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and put in refrigerator for 1 hour (or overnight)

POTATO AND CHEESE FILLING:

1. Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes

2. Put potatoes in a large pot, add 1 TBS of salt, then cover potatoes under 2 inches of cold water

3. Bring potatoes to a boil and boil until tender (about 20 minutes)

4. Drain potatoes and then mash with a ricer or other masher

5. In a bowl with mashed potatoes, add shredded cheese and stir until well combined

6. Taste and add up to 1 tsp each of salt and pepper as desired, mixing again to combine

PIEROGI ASSEMBLY:

1. As potato and cheese filling cools, remove dough from refrigerator and cut into 2 equal pieces

2. Using a rolling pin, roll 1 piece of dough into a square/rectangle ⅛ inch thick

3. Use a 2 ½ inch round pastry cutter into as many circles as you can, then remove scraps and set aside

4. Place 1 ½ tsp of potato and cheese filling into the center of each round then fold over and seal (stretching edges slightly if necessary) by pinching ends together with fingers

5. This is optional, but if you want to look cool, seal further using a fork to create groves around the seal edge

6. Repeat process with 2nd piece of dough

7. If after 2nd dough piece you still have filling, ball up your scraps and roll out and repeat again until filling is gone

FINISHING STEPS:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pot, add pierogi and boil (you do not have to cook all pierogi all at once - you can freeze up to 4 weeks and then boil when ready)

2. Pierogi will float to the top when they are finished (no more than a few minutes) and you can then using a slotted spoon to remove from pot and set aside until all pierogi are finished

3. Using a large skillet, heat 4 TBS butter over medium-high heat, then add shallots and sauté until shallots begin to brown

4. Add pierogi and sauté with shallots until crispy and browned

5. Serve with side of sour cream and/or applesauce and top with chopped chives, pepper, paprika, and the sautéed shallots

NOTES:

This takes some work but is totally worth it. This is why you want to make as many as you can all at once because you can freeze some and enjoy later without having to do all the heavy lifting again the next time you’re craving pierogi. You don’t even need to thaw them out. Just drop them frozen into boiling water and once they float to the top, you’re done. You don’t even have to sauté them if you’re feeling lazy but getting that butter and shallot oil all over a crispy exterior is truly an explosion of flavor.

You can also use whatever filling you want. Sautéed spinach and feta? Go for it. Ground beef and onion? Absolutely. I went with potato and cheese because that’s what was recommended to me and I was not disappointed. At first I tried to get real traditional and look up what kind of cheese is used in Poland and came across types of cheese like quark and sheep’s cheese. I didn’t see any of this at the store and grabbed some sharp cheddar because, again, that’s what was recommended to me and I loved the way these came out.

Folding the dough will take some practice if you haven’t done this before. One thing I don’t do enough of is doughs, breads, baked goods, etc. It’s something I want to get more into and this was a perfect introduction because it’s all quite forgiving. Don’t be afraid to slightly stretch out the edges as you seal so you get all the filling in. As long as the seal is there these are going to taste incredible even if they don’t look perfect.