Monday, January 24, 2011

Pierogi (Polish Stuffed Dumpling)

There is nothing as good as homemade pierogies. Where I grew up, the local Ukrainian church women would sell freshly handmade pierogies regularly as a fundraiser. One of my good friends was the granddaughter of one of these women who did not even need a recipe to make wonderful pierogies. We felt like we were in heaven eating these. The ones I typically enjoy are filled with mashed potato and cheese. However, you might try making them with both potato and sauerkraut. I love these fried with some sautéed onions and butter and some keilbasa. They can easily be frozen and later boiled in some water for a few minutes to thaw, and then baked or fried with butter, onions and keilbasa.

Ingredients:

3 -3 1/2 cups sauerkraut
4 Tbsp butter or oil
1 medium or large onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
dash pepper

Basic Dough:

4 cups flour, white or combination white/white whole wheat
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup lukewarm water

Cook the sauerkraut 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. (If you desire sauerkraut not as sour, rinse it before cooking.) Push to sides of the pan; melt butter and sauté onion. Mix together; sauté 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally. Season to taste.

While filling is cooking, prepare dough. Mix ingredients together, adding water a little at a time. Dough should not be sticky. Roll out 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into circles approximately 4-6 inches in diameter. Fill each circle with a spoonful of kraut mixture. Fold in half; wet half the rim with water. Crimp with a fork. Drop into a large kettle of gently boiling water. Boil until they float to the top, stirring at times to keep them from sticking to the bottom. Remove with a slotted spoon. Let cool and dry on wire racks. Makes 25 pierogies.

When ready to serve, fry in butter or oil until golden brown on each side. Or for larger servings, dip in melted butter; bake at 350 degrees in a 9x13 inch pan until golden.

Try other fillings such as cottage cheese, mashed potato and cheese.

Recipe by Kathleen White in Whole Foods For The Whole Family La Leche League International Cookbook, 1981.

1 comment:

  1. I LOVE Pierogis! We make them too. You can make them with blueberries as well!
    http://marriedtoageek.net/profiles/blogs/recipe-pierogis-to-die-for-let

    Your blog is great and making me hungry :)

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