Originating from Central Europe, a pierog is a half-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. The recipe provided in
this article suggests a cheese and potato filling, combined with
portabello mushrooms.
This recipe will make approximately 1-2 dozen pierogi, which will
serve about four to ten people people. (You may have to double the
dough mixture to utilize all of the filling.)
!! Ingredients !!
Dough
* 700 ml (3 cups) regular flour
* 1 whole egg
* 1 egg yolk (save the egg white in the potatoes and cheese filling
later)
* 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 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 120 ml (½ cup) farmers' cheese
* Salt and pepper
* Cilantro (fresh coriander) (optional)
Topping suggestions (optional)
* Melted butter
* Finely chopped and fried bacon
* Finely chopped onions, fried very slowly in butter until brown
* Sour cream
!! Steps !!
!! Dough Preparation !!
* Make the dough. Mix the flour and the salt together with the eggs.
* 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.
* On a flat surface, knead the dough until it's firm and
soft.
* Cover with a damp tea towel and let it rest on the counter top
while you are making the fillings.
!! Mushroom Filling !!
* Make the mushroom filling. Heat up some olive oil in a pan and fry
the garlic and the chili.
* When the garlic starts to soften, add the chopped mushrooms.
Sauté until the mushrooms get softer.
* Add the water, cream, and tamari sauce. Season with salt and
pepper.
* Spread some leaves of rosemary over the mushroom mixture and cook
it for three minutes.
!! Cheese And Potato Filling !!
* 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.
* Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Lastly, add chopped
cilantro (optional).
!! Filling The Pierogi !!
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.
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 pierog to guide filling the rest). About a scant teaspoon is
suitable for each pierog.
Work through filling them methodically; if it's easier, sit down.
Have a suitable surface to place the filled pieorgi on, such as the
clean tea towel shown in this image.
Shaping the pierog 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.
* Repeat until you have about 1 to 2 dozen pierogi. Pat some more
flour on every pierog to prevent them from sticking together. If
necessary, add some more warm water to the dough, as adding flour
makes each pierog drier.
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.
Serve with a topping of your choice. Either add the topping direct,
or provide a range of toppings for diners to self-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!
* Serve with a salad.
* This is how they appear when browned If preferred, heat
butter in a frying pan and lightly brown the pierogi before
serving.
!! Video !!
!! Tips !!
* Cilantro 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!
* Using a pasta roller to roll out the dough can save you 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.
* 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 language interest: Pierogi (pyeh-ROH-gee, "g" as in "geese")
is the plural form of the name of the dish, the singular is
"pieróg" (pyeh-ROOK). It is the Polish name. They are known as
"vareniki" in Ukrainian and "pyelmeni" in Russian. Note that
saying "pierogies" is a typical English slip; if speaking Polish,
the word pierogi is already plural. Yet, while it's like saying,
"let's make some cakeses", given it's an English acceptance of a
foreign word, it's not something to get into a twist about!
!! Things You'll Need !!
* Workspace surface for kneading and rolling dough
* Mixing bowl and mixing implements
* Large pan for boiling
* Strainer or slotted spoon
* Clean tea towels
* Serving platter and condiment bowls
* Wax paper on trays
* Freezer bags (optional)
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Keep Polish Christmas Traditions in Your Home
* How to Make Chinese Dumplings
* How to Make Greco Roman Ravioli
* How to Make Momos
* How to Make a Corretto (Espresso Corretto)
* How to Make Gnocchi
* How to Make Ravioli
* How to Make Poached Eggs
!! Sources And Citations !!
* http://kokblog.mw2mw.com/ - Source of original article, shared
with permission.
* Pierogi, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierogi – research source
* Recipe for preparing previously made or purchased pierogies,
http://www.urbancookingguide.com/tips/1-Perogies-with-Mushrooms-and-Onions.html
– research source
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