Pierogi Dough

Pierogi are one of the most typical dishes of Polish cuisine. Basically, they consist of dough filled with different varieties. You could say they are quite similar to ravioli.

Pierogi are a filled dough shaped like a semicircle similar to the empanadilla we all know although cooked in water like a ravioli but then fried in plenty of butter and/or oil.

A pieróg can be filled with many varieties as I mentioned earlier (meat, fruit, cabbage, etc..) but in this case we will focus on the traditional filling of cheese, onion and mashed potato.

To get the filling of these pierogi just right, we must cook the potatoes the day before. This will make the mashed potato dry and not dampen the pieróg dough. A trick that works very well is to cook the potatoes in the microwave; besides saving time, this makes the potatoes less watery than boiled. If you choose this method, simply wash the potatoes (with skin), wrap them in microwave-safe plastic wrap, prick each one a couple of times with the tip of a knife, place in a microwave-safe container and heat for 7 to 10 minutes. The potatoes will be ready when a knife slides in without resistance.

On the other hand, the cheese we are going to use will be requesón or ricotta, (the Polish cheese used is hard to find) since these cheeses are quite moist, we should try to make them as dry as possible. To do this we can place the requesón in a fine mesh for 24h in the refrigerator and let it lose excess water. This way we will get perfect pierogi.

Each pieróg should be filled with plenty of filling, don’t be afraid to put enough filling in, even if it seems that the diameter (8 cm) of the dough won’t be enough to close it, don’t worry, the dough is very elastic and will close perfectly. Likewise you shouldn’t fear the thinness of this dough (3 mm); the thinner it is, the better it will cook and, if you have a rolling pin with measuring discs, this process will be "coser y cantar".

Acacia wood spatula T&G, Pallarès carbon steel knives and Skeppshult cast iron frying pan

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 250 g of cooked potato (see introduction)
• 250 g of drained ricotta cheese (see introduction)
• 2 medium onions cut into thin small cubes
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Dill to taste
• A handful of sea salt
• A pinch of pepper

For the dough:

• 300 g of plain wheat flour (9% protein)
• 1 L egg at room temperature
• 20 g of melted butter
• 120 ml of warm water
• A pinch of sea salt

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onion until golden. Meanwhile in a separate bowl we mash the cooked and peeled potatoes with the cheese, chopped dill, salt and pepper. Once the onions are golden we add them to this mixture and mix very well. Form about 25 balls and set aside.
2. In a large bowl sift the flour and make a well, in the center add the egg, melted butter, salt and start kneading with a wooden spatula while gradually pouring in the warm water. Once all the ingredients come together, begin kneading by hand for 5 minutes until you obtain an elastic, smooth dough. Let it rest covered for a few minutes.
3. Divide the dough into 4 parts and cover 3 of them with a cloth so they don’t dry out. On a lightly floured surface roll out one portion of the dough using a rolling pin, leaving a thickness of 3 mm. Cut circles of about 8 cm and place a ball of filling on each. To close the pierogi simply put it in the palm of your hand and stretch slightly to form a half-moon. To seal the pierogi you can pinch the edges as you can see in the images or, if easier, use a fork. Place them on a floured surface so they don’t stick and are easy to handle.
4. Place an iron skillet over very low heat with about 50 g of butter and let it melt together with a sprig of dill. Set aside.
5. In a pot with boiling water and salt, add the pierogi in batches. At first they will sink, but once they float cook them for exactly 2 minutes. After this time remove them and immediately transfer them to the skillet with the butter.
6. Cook the pierogi in butter until the bottom is slightly golden. Serve the pierogi drizzled with melted butter, chopped fresh dill and a few flakes of salt.

Acacia wood spatula T&G