Make Pierogies

Originating from Central Europe, a pierogi (sing and pl) or pierogies (pl) is a quarter-moon shaped dumpling made of unleavened dough. Making your own pierogi is definitely worthwhile; while it's possible in some places to purchase pierogi from the freezer section of a local grocery, this isn't an option available in many places, and the ability to tweak the filling to suit your own tastes is definitely one of the benefits of making your own. Traditionally, pierogi contain one of any variety of fillings, including: sauerkraut, cheese, mashed potatoes, cabbage, onion, meat, hard-boiled eggs (Mennonite-specific), and even fruit filling -- and may be fried lightly or fried after boiling. The recipe provided in this article suggests a cheese, potato filling including portobello mushrooms.

This recipe will make approximately 1-2 dozen pierogi, which will serve about four to ten people. (You may have to double the dough mixture to use all of the filling, if you roll the dough by hand; some use a pasta roller to make thin crust.)

Ingredients

Dough

  • 700 ml (3 cups) regular flour
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 egg yolk (save the egg white for the potatoes and cheese filling)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 175 ml (¾ cup) warm water (heated up, not directly from the tap)

Mushroom filling

  • 2-3 portobello mushrooms or 10 smaller field mushrooms
  • Dried chili
  • One clove of garlic
  • 40 ml (1/6 cup) tamari [Japanese soy] sauce
  • 1/8 cup of water (adjust to desired thickness)
  • Cream (adjust to desired thickness)
  • Fresh rosemary leaves

Cheese and potato filling

  • 4 - 5 boiled potatoes
  • 4 tablespoons butter or olive oil
  • 50 ml (0.2 cup) milk
  • 1 egg white
  • Approximately {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} (½ cup) farmers’ [fresh] cheese
  • Salt and pepper
  • Cilantro (fresh coriander) (optional)

Topping suggestions (optional)

  • Melted butter
  • Finely chopped, fried bacon
  • Finely chopped onions, fried very slowly in butter until brown
  • Sour cream

Steps

Dough preparation

  1. Make the dough. Mix the flour and the salt together with the eggs.
  2. Heat up some water and mix small parts at a time into the flour mixture. Mixing can be done by hand or in a food processor.
  3. On a flat surface, knead the dough until it’s firm and soft.
  4. Cover with a damp tea towel and let it rest on the counter top while you are making the fillings.

Mushroom filling

  1. Make the mushroom filling. Heat up some olive oil in a pan and fry the garlic and the chili.
  2. When the garlic starts to soften, add the chopped mushrooms. Sauté until the mushrooms get softer.
  3. Add the water, cream, and tamari sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Spread some leaves of rosemary over the mushroom mixture and cook it for three minutes.

Cheese and potato filling

  1. Make the cheese and potato filling. Mash the potatoes with the egg white, some melted butter and milk. Add the farmers' cheese as noted, or to your own taste.
  2. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Lastly, add chopped Make Coriander Relish (optional).

Filling the Pierogi

  1. Uncover the dough and, if necessary, knead it some more. Divide into 4 pieces.
    • Use a large amount of flour while rolling. Roll to a thickness of approximately 1/16” (1mm).
    • Cut 3” (7.5cm) circles from the rolled dough. Coat well in flour.
  2. Add the filling to each circle. Divide the fillings equally centered in each circle. Don't try to overfill – if you do, simply remove some of the filling (use the first successfully filled pierogie to guide filling the rest). About a scant teaspoon is suitable for each pierogie.
    • Work through filling them methodically; if it's easier, sit down. Have a suitable surface to place the filled pierogie on, such as the clean tea towel shown in this image.
  3. Cover the filling and pinch the edges firmly together to seal. (Keep flouring your hands.) Pinch really well and firmly, even if you have to do it several times; you don't want the filling to spill out when cooking!
    • If wished, use a fork to press down the edges neatly.
  4. Repeat until you have about 1 to 2 dozen pierogi. Pat some more flour on every pierogie to prevent them from sticking together. If necessary, add some more warm water to the dough, as adding flour makes each pierogie drier.
  5. Heat the salted water. Once the water is boiling, drop some of the pierogi in the water. Don't overcrowd the pierogi - allow moving room. When they float to the surface, let them boil for approximately 1-2 minutes more.
    • Fish them out with a strainer or slotted spoon. Place them on trays lined with wax paper; do not let them touch or they'll stick together.
    • If not eating immediately, place the pierogi in the fridge if you're eating them shortly; or freeze with wax layers between them, then remove frozen pierogi from wax and place into sealed freezer bags.
  6. Serve with a topping of your choice. Either add the topping direct, or provide a range of toppings for diners to select from. Some suggestions include: melted butter, fried bacon pieces, fried onions (chopped finely) or sour cream. Some people prefer no topping at all, as they're delicious enough on their own!
  7. Lightly brown the pierogi before serving, if desired, in heated butter in a frying pan.

Tips

  • Using a pasta roller to roll out the dough can save a lot of time. Don't roll it too thinly however, or the filling may split the dough when you try to seal the pierogi.
  • Cilantro (coriander/Chinese parsley) is not a traditional ingredient for a pierogi filling. Most recipes seem to use fine chopped onions or chives, but there aren't any strong rules on how to make fillings. Use what you have at home, as well as your personal preferences; as with any cuisine, home chefs are entitled to broad cooking license!
  • If you're out of eggs, or just want to try something different, the pasta can be made with just flour and sour cream.
  • For holidays and special events create some unique shapes: Snowmen for a winter holiday party for example.

Things You'll Need

  • Work surface for kneading and rolling dough
  • Mixing bowl and mixing implements
  • Large pan for boiling
  • Strainer or slotted spoon
  • Clean tea towels
  • Serving platter
  • Wax paper (to line dishes or trays)
  • Freezer bags (optional)

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

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