Poland Pierogi is a traditional Polish recipe for a staple dish of boiled pastry dumplings with a cottage cheese and potato or mushroom and sauerkraut filling. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Polish dish of: Poland Pierogi.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
Ingredients:
For the mushroom and sauerkraut filling:
55g dried mushrooms
250g jarred sauerkraut
40g butter
For the cottage cheese and potato filling:
250g floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper, peeled and cut into pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
250g half-fat cottage cheese
For the dumpling dough:
250g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
150ml warm water
To serve:
300ml soured cream
small handful fresh dill, to garnish
Method:
For the mushroom and sauerkraut filling, soak the dried mushrooms in 300ml warm water and set aside to soak for 1 hour.
Drain the sauerkraut in a colander and rinse under a cold tap to remove some of the acidity. Transfer to a pan of boiling water. Return to a boil then reduce the heat until the water is simmering and cook the sauerkraut for 30 minutes. Drain well.
Remove the mushrooms from their soaking water using a slotted spoon, reserving the liquid. Finely chop the mushrooms.
Heat the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sauerkraut, mushrooms and the reserved soaking liquid (leave any sediment in this behind). Bring the mixture to the boil. Continue to boil the mixture until all of the liquid has evaporated, then take off the heat and set aside to cool.
For the cottage cheese and potato filling, boil the potatoes in a pan of salted water until soft enough to mash (about 20 minutes). Drain well and set aside to cool.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the onions for 6-8 minutes, or until crisp and browned. Reserve a tablespoonful of the onions for garnish.
For the dumpling dough, sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Fill the well with the salt, oil and water. Using your fingers, gradually incorporate the flour into the wet ingredients, until the mixture comes together as a soft dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured work surface and knead for 5-8 minutes, or until it is smooth and glossy. Wrap the dough in a clean tea towel and set aside to rest in a cool place for at least 20 minutes.
When the potatoes have cooled, transfer them to a large bowl and crumble over the cottage cheese. Mash until smooth, then stir in the fried onions until well combined. Set aside.
To shape the pierogi, roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 3mm. Cut out 10cm rounds using a pastry cutter.
Place one teaspoonful of the cottage cheese and potato filling into half of the pastry rounds, and one teaspoonsful of the mushroom and sauerkraut filling into the remaining pastry rounds. Brush a little water around the edge of each pastry round, then fold the edges together to create a bulging semi-circular dumpling, pressing the edges together to seal.
Poach the pierogi, in batches if necessary, in a deep-sided pan of boiling water for 3-4 minutes, or until they float to the surface.
To serve, pile the pierogi onto serving plates and serve the soured cream in small bowls alongside. Sprinkle with the reserved fried onions and the dill.
