Pierogies

By exdircomp

Homemade Pierogi Tips:

1.If you are having a hard time getting the edges to stick together, you may have too much flour in the dough. Add a little water to help get a good seal.

2.If you don't want to cook all of the pierogies right away, you can refrigerate them (uncooked) for several days or freeze them for up to several months.

3.You can fill pierogies with pretty much anything you want, though potato and cheese is the most common (recipe below). Sweet pierogies are often filled with a prune mixture.

Ingredients

• 2 •2 cups flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling dough
• 1/2 •1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 •1 large egg
• 1/2 •1/2 cup sour cream, plus extra to serve with the pierogi
• 1/4 •1/4 cup butter, softened and cut into small pieces
• •butter and onions for sauteing
• •ingredients for filling of your choice

Preparation

Step 1

Pierogi Dough
To prepare the pierogi dough, mix together the flour and salt. Beat the egg, then add all at once to the flour mixture. Add the 1/2 cup sour cream and the softened butter pieces and work until the dough loses most of its stickiness (about 5-7 minutes). You can use a food processor with a dough hook for this, but be careful not to overbeat. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or overnight; the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Each batch of dough makes about 12-15 pierogies, depending on size.
Prepare the Pierogies
Roll the pierogi dough on a floured board or countertop until 1/8" thick. Cut circles of dough (2" for small pierogies and 3-3 1/2" for large pierogies) with a cookie cutter or drinking glass. Place a small ball of filling (about a tablespoon) on each dough round and fold the dough over, forming a semi-circle. Press the edges together with the tines of a fork.

Boil the perogies a few at a time in a large pot of water. They are done when they float to the top (about 8-10 minutes). Rinse in cool water and let dry.

Saute chopped onions in butter in a large pan until onions are soft. Then add pierogies and pan fry until lightly crispy. Serve with a side of sour cream


Potato, Cheese & Onion Filling:
Peel and boil 5 large potatoes until soft. Red potatoes or russet potatoes are especially good for this. While the potatoes are boiling, finely chop 1 large onion and 1 tespoon minced garlic and saute in butter until soft and translucent. Mash the potatoes with the sauted onions and add 1/2 pound of farmers cheese (depending on how cheesy you want your pierogies), adding salt and pepper to taste. You can also add some fresh parsley, bacon bits, chives, or other enhancements if you desire. Let the potato mixture cool and then form into 1" balls.

Sauerkraut Filling:

1.8 lbs of Sauerkraut, drained and minced
0.2 lbs of dried Mushroom
2 Onions finely chopped
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauerkraut Filling:

The best is to soak the mushroom in water a day before.

Run cold water over the sauerkraut through sieve to get rid of the strong sour taste. Remove water and chop sauerkraut. Boil mushrooms and chop finely. Chop onions. In a large skillet, heat oil over a medium flame. Saute sauerkraut along with onions and mushrooms. Add salt and pepper ( I like it a little spicy). . Stuff pierogi with about a teaspoon amount of the filling (depending on a size of pierogi).

Chicken Paprikash:

Roux:
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Chicken paprikash filling:
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup sour cream
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper

To make the roux: In a medium skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Add the olive oil then, using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour. Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and pulls from the sides of the pan. Remove the roux from the heat before it browns.

To make the filling: In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, about 15 minutes. Add the roux to the onions then add 1 cup of chicken stock. Simmer the stock, stirring constantly, until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley, chives, paprika and sun-dried tomatoes. Allow the sauce to return to a simmer, then stir in the sour cream. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring frequently, until the sauce reduces slightly. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, season the chicken breast with salt and pepper and put it in a medium skillet. Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken stock, cover the skillet and poach the chicken over medium heat until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Uncover the skillet, raise the heat and simmer the chicken until the stock has evaporated. Allow the chicken to cool, then dice and add it to the cooled sauce. Refrigerate the filling until ready to use.

Beef filling:

1/2 pound ground beef
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound soft farmers cheese
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 whole egg

For the filling: Season the beef with salt and pepper. In a saute pan, render the ground beef for 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain on a paper-lined plate. In a mixing bowl, combine the cheese, ground beef, shallots, garlic, green onion and egg. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each circle of dough and fold over. Press and seal into half-moon shapes. Use a little water to seal the pierogi's.