Pierogi Recipe

This stuffed pasta has its origin in Poland, although there are other countries that dispute its creation, these are the Czech Republic and Slovakia. However, this preparation is well known as “Polish pasta” or as “perohe”, especially in Poland the “ricotta perohe” is very popular. This preparation is similar to ravioli or mini empanadas; they are made with soft dough based on eggs, flour and butter. And, as we have mentioned, it is a typical Polish dish, but there are several versions to cook it: from different cooking methods (boiled or fried) to different fillings and garnishes. The one preferred by almost everyone is the one you will learn to make in this recipe, which combines mashed potatoes and sautéed onions. Another possibility is to add mushrooms, meat, cheese and cabbage.

Ingredients to make Pierogi:

• For the masses:
• 500 grams of flour
• 1 egg
• 40 grams of butter
• 250 cubic centimeters of warm water
• For the filling:
• 1 kilogram of mashed potatoes
• 1 large onion
• 1 tablespoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

How to make Pierogi:

1. To get started with this pierogi recipe, first turn the dough out onto your clean counter and make a well in the center. Next, add the butter, water and egg to it. Start integrating all the ingredients from the center and, once you have a bun, knead for approximately 3 minutes. We point out that there should be smooth dough.
2. Store the dough for your pierogi in a covered container and let it rest while you prepare the filling, in this way, it will be easier to stretch it.
3. For the pierogi filling, peel, chop and sauté the onion over high heat with 1 teaspoon of oil until transparent. Next, add 1 tablespoon of hot water and turn the heat down to medium. When it evaporates, sauté the onion for a few seconds and add water again. Repeat this process as many times as you wants, keeping in mind that the more times you do it, the sweeter it will be. This way you will be caramelizing the onion with its own sugars.
4. Mix the onion with the mashed potatoes. We remember that you can do it with natural potatoes or by reconstituting the potatoes in flakes. In the first case, wash and boil the potatoes in plenty of water, without peeling or cutting them, until when pierced they slide off the fork or knife. With this trick, your puree will be drier, ideal for the filling. Peel them and mash them until you get a smooth puree. And, if you use mashed flakes, reconstitute the 2 125-gram packages of potatoes with 600 cc of water and 300 cc of milk to also obtain a rather dry mash. However, in all cases you should season it with nutmeg and pepper. Let it cool in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes.
5. Tip: if you are on a lactose-free diet, you can replace the milk with lactose-free or vegetable milk.
6. While you’re filling cools, stretch the dough with a roller or machine at point 8. Cut it approximately 8 cm in diameter, you can do it with a cutter or with any element you have within reach to achieve the shape. Keep in mind that you must clean it well before hand and pass it through flour so that it does not stick to the dough. As you cut the discs, cover them with a towel so they don’t dry out.
7. Once you have all the discs cut out, start stuffing your pierogi. To do this, wet the edge of the disc with your finger and fill it with a teaspoon of mashed potatoes. Then, close it as if it were an empanada and reserve it.
8. Distribute the pierogi on the clean counter with flour sprinkled so they don’t stick to it. Cover them with a tea towel while you finish making all the pasta. Once ready, boil plenty of water to cook them.
9. Seal the closure of your pierogi with the help of a fork, apply some pressure.
10. Cook your pierogi in plenty of boiling water. We point out that you should cook them in batches so they don’t stick together.
11. When they float, cook them for approximately 1 minute and strain them, drain the water well and serve them with your favorite sauce. To eat!