Quarantine Cooking: Pierogis
During this covid-19 quarantine, I’ve chosen to spend this extra time returning to my love of cooking! Being the ambitious person that I am, I chose something that
I’ve wanted to try, but was intimidated by
A recipe I could personalize and make my own
Something that could be frozen to be enjoyed later
What I learned was that while it took some time - it really wasn’t that hard. I’ve also recommended it to friends with kids, as tiny hands can help with making the dumplings!
This recipe will make about 3 dozen or so.
Dough
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter (I recommend, softening it to room temperature)
1) To make the dough, start with the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Then add the egg, and combine. The dough will be clumpy, this is normal.
2) Work in the sour cream and softened butter until the dough comes together in a sticky ball. I suggest using your hands to do this.
3) Using just your fingertips, knead and fold the dough until it becomes less sticky. You may add just a dusting more flour, but you want that dough to still be quite moist.
4) Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes. You can have it chill up to a day or so.
Filling
Pierogi are very flexible, and so you can stuff them with your choice of savory or sweet. Traditionally, it’s some combination of potato and cheese - but use what you have at home… spiced meats, mixed vegetables, or even fruits & berries! Get creative - maybe its shredded buffalo chicken, or a tomato meat sauce for an italian twist… I leave it to you!
Basic Filling:
1/2 onion, diced
Butter
1 cup warm mashed potatoes (I trust everyone knows how to make mashed potatoes… if you don’t, this entire recipe may be a little advanced for your skills… sorry.)
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1) Heat a pat of butter in a sauté pan, add the onion and cook until lightly browned and soft.
2) Combine the mashed potato and cheese in a bowl.
3) Add the onion, and adjust seasonings with salt and better, and combine til the cheese has melted.
The Pierogis!
This is the part kids can get in on:
1) Prepare a workspace with flour.
2) Split the dough into two balls. Start with the first, by rolling it to 1/8” thick. (Note: If you don’t have a rolling pin, a wine bottle will also work just fine)
3) Use a 2-3” round cookie cutter (or the top of a glass) to cut circles of dough, depending how large you’d like your dumplings to be. Once you’ve completed with the first half of the dough, then repeat with the 2nd.
4) Place about 1/12 teaspoons of filling on each round of dough… the size of a large marble or gumball.
5) Fold the dough over, forming a pocket around the filling. Pinch the edges of the pierogi to seal, and seal again with the tines of a fork.
Now, at this point is when you make the decision - how many to eat, or how many to freeze for later. If freezing, I suggest laying flat in a freezer bag, ensuring there is no air in the bag.
To Finish
1/2 onion, sliced thinly
Butter
1) Start a large pot of salted boiling water. Only drop in about 8-12 pierogi at a time, depending on the size of your pot. They need to have room to float without sticking together. When the pierogi float to the top, they’re done! No really, as soon as they are floating around. Use a slotted spoon to add them to…
2) Sauté the sliced onion in butter until the onion begins to brown. Add drained pierogi and cook until brown and crispy.
3) Serve hot served with your choice of condiments or protein.
ENJOY!!!
For more Quarantine Cooking - you can follow me @tableset_go on Instagram! :)