Last week we made Chinese Dumplings and I thought this week we could move to Eastern European Dumplings. Perogies are made by wrapping pockets of unleavened dough around a savory or sweet filling and cooking them in boiling water. These dumplings are popular in Slavic (Polish, Slovak, Ukrainian, Russian), Baltic (Latvian, Lithuanian) and other Eastern European cuisines, such as Romanian, where they are known under local names. Pierogi are especially associated with Poland, Ukraine, and Slovakia, where they are considered national dishes.
They are often traditionally made for Christmas, but they can be made for any special event. There’s some work involved, but the outcome is rewarding! After the Perogies have boiled, they can be fried in some butter and onions or served with sour cream. I fried them up for rich flavor. These are potato filled Perogies.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups cold mashed potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
3 eggs
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons butter
Method
- To prepare the mashed potato filling, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir into the mashed potatoes, and season with salt and white pepper.
- To make the dough, beat together the eggs and sour cream until smooth. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; stir into the sour cream mixture until dough comes together. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until firm and smooth. Divide the dough in half, then roll out one half to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch rounds using a biscuit cutter.
- Place a small spoonful of the mashed potato filling into the center of each round. Moisten the edges with water, fold over, and press together with a fork to seal. Repeat procedure with the remaining dough and filling.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add Perogies and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until pierogi float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- For fried Perogies, in a skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter and sear each side of the Perogies until golden brown. Serve warm.
