Pierogies are one of my husband’s favorite foods. He has memories of his Nan making them and his stepfather rolling the dough for his mom when it was too springy for her. On my first visit to meet Michael’s grandparents, Nan served us pierogies. On the side were fried onions and crispy bacon crumbles. They were marvelous!
Since they were Michael’s favorite food I had to learn how to make them. Little did I know they had almost as many steps as tamale-making
This recipe comes from a book called “Festive Ukrainian Cooking” by Marta Pisetska Fraley. I’ve made some variations from the traditional method of making the pierogies. I use a pasta maker to roll out the dough. It makes a perfect little shape that fits over a pierogies form that I use as well. I also break down the steps
Pierogies
Ingredients
PIEROGI DOUGH
- 5 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup water as needed
- Medium to large potatoes
- 2 – 3 onions
- ½ cup oil or ¼ pound butter
POTATO CHEESE FILLING
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or dry bryndzia sheep milk’s cheese
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground pepper
Instructions
- Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, forming a well in the middle. Add butter and milk and mix lightly until flour is absorbed. (Add a little warm water as needed).
- Knead until dough sticks together, cover, and allow to rest for a few minutes, then knead until smooth. Cover and set aside. (The dough should be somewhat soft since more flour is added as dough is rolled out.)
- Or, in the processor, combine flour, salt, and butter and stir a few times. With the machine running, add liquids until ball forms. Allow to rest a few minutes, then process until smooth.
- Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn and cover for about 30 minutes before rolling out. (It may be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for a day or so, brought to room temperature, and then rolled out.)
- Place a fourth of the dough on a floured work surface; cover the remaining dough. Roll into a circle, away from the center, turn over, flour lightly, and roll again to about ¼ inch thickness. Run a hand under the bottom to loosen it. With a 3-inch biscuit cutter or wineglass, cut rounds. Place a tablespoon of filling on one side of each round, flip over the other half, and press the edges together, sealing in the filling. Place dumplings on a floured tray; keep dumplings covered with a towel.
- Gently drop 10 – 15 pierogies in 3 quarts of boiling water in a large wide pot or dutch oven. Do not crowd. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain in a colander. Place on a lightly oiled tray and shake to coat with a thin film of oil (to prevent sticking). Do not pile dumplings on top of each other, as this distorts their shape.
- If pierogi are to be frozen, remove them with a slotted spoon when they float to the top. Do not overcook. To freeze, place in the freezer on an oiled cookie sheet while tepid. When they are rigid, store them in tightly sealed plastic bags.
- To serve, pierogi may be poached, pan-fried, or steamed, served as an accompaniment to meats, or served with sour cream, chopped sauteed onions, or fried bacon with a little bacon fat.
- Potato-Cheese Filling
- Peel and quarter potatoes, cover with water, and cook until soft. Meanwhile, cook chopped onions in melted butter until golden. Drain and rice potatoes. Shred cheddar cheese or crumble bryndzia. Add onions, cheese, salt, and pepper to potatoes and mix well. Allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Filling may be refrigerated for several days. Do not freeze filling.
- Note: leftovers may be used to make breakfast cake or as filling for potato boats or stuffed peppers.