Although we may think of American food as consisting primarily of apple pie or cheeseburgers, the truth is that our country is a culinary melting pot. Because our country has such a rich history and culture when it comes to immigration, all of those flavors and cuisines have become a part of American cuisine as well. Although we probably all have our own family recipes that have been passed down throughout the years, one particularly delicious recipe is for Polish pierogi.
For those who don’t know, pierogi are a kind of savory dumpling eaten throughout Eastern Europe. They can be filled with anything from cheese to potatoes to onions and are undeniably delicious. Still, many of us have probably never had these tasty treats (or if we have, we’ve eaten them almost exclusively from the frozen aisle). As it turns out, making these things right at home is not as difficult as you may have been led to believe. That’s right, today we’re going to teach you how to make authentic, homemade pierogi in no time at all.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup of sour cream
- 1/4 cup of room temperature butter
- 1 cup of warm mashed potatoes
- 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup of butter
- 2 large diced shallots, sautéed (or one medium onion, sliced thinly)
Here’s what you do:
1. The biggest part of making pierogi is to prepare the dough. Begin this process by mixing together your flour and salt before adding in egg to make a clumpy, rough mixture. Gradually add in your sour cream and the softened butter until your dough starts to form together into a sticky ball.
2. Use your fingertips to carefully knead and fold the dough. Keep working the dough until the consistency turns a little less sticky while still retaining its moisture. At that point, you can add in some additional flour as necessary to finish it up.
3. Once your dough seems ready, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it for between 30 minutes to an hour (though you can also leave it in the fridge for up to two days, if you’d like).
4. Now that your dough is ready, you can make your fillings! First, combine your warm mashed potatoes with some cheese. Stir and mash everything up until your filling has cooled down and is well-combined.
5. Next up, separate your dough and roll it out until it’s about 1/8 of an inch thick. Use a two-inch round cookie cutter to cut circles out of the dough and repeat with the other half, saving the scraps. On each of the dough rounds, place about two teaspoons of filling and gently fold the dough together to form a pocket. Pinch the edges and seal each one with a fork. If you’re not ready to cook yet, you can also freeze them at this point and keep them for up to four weeks.
6. When you’re ready to cook, get a pot of boiling water and add in 10 of your pierogi at a time. Boil them until they float to the surface, which should take about eight minutes. After that, drain the water and set your pierogi aside.
7. Finally, get the other half of your butter and melt it in a pan. Add your pierogi once they’ve drained of water and cook them for seven minutes per side until they turn golden and crisp. At the end, serve them hot and top them with your toppings!
Although this recipe does require some elbow grease to make entirely from scratch, those who have had pierogi before know just how delicious they can be. As mentioned, you can also stop this recipe at various in-between stages and come back to it later, making it a great substitute for frozen food snacks. Above all, have fun with it and be sure to choose some delicious toppings!
Have you tried this recipe out for yourself? Let us know how it went in the comments below.
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