A few weeks ago, I just got into my head that I should make pierogis. Not the Mrs. T’s kind, either. Real from scratch ones with sour cream in the dough and shallots in the potato stuffing. Now, I’ve never made pierogis before. I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I wanted some. And all I can say is that, if I can do these, you can, too! I pretty much made them on a whim and they turned out awesome.
So I went to the store and bought 12 yukon gold potatoes. And I peeled them, chopped them, and cooked them in boiling water. Then what? I ran to my computer and found Martha Stewart’s recipe for dough, which seemed easy enough. Luckily I had all the ingredients in my pantry/fridge and didn’t have to run out in the freezing cold for only two tablespoons of sour cream.
For some reason I made the dough in a glass bowl with a whisk. I mean, I have two stand mixers and I used my own arms to mix and knead? There must be something wrong with me.
So I did this a little backwards. You should definitely make the dough first, since it has to rest for an hour. The original recipe said rise, but there’s nothing to make it rise, so I think it just needs a rest so it’s easier to work with and the dough doesn’t keep stretching back when you roll it out. While the dough rests, make the feeling. Use a food mill or a ricer. Or at least a potato masher! I didn’t have any of those, so my potatoes aren’t as smooth as they could be. I mean, I used a fork. But, now that I think of it, I could have grated the potatoes in my food processor. Silly me. Oh well, maybe next time!
Basic Pierogi Recipe, adapted from Martha Stewart:
For the Dough:
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup water
- 5 cups all purpose flour
For the potatoes:
- 3 pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed (I used 9, the recipe said about 12)
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- About 2 tablespoons salt, divided
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- (Corn meal, so they don’t stick together)
Directions:
1. Make the dough: In a bowl, whisk the egg, sour cream, milk, and water.
2. Mix in the flour, a cup at a time, until it comes together.
3. Mix the dough until it is smooth and not so sticky.
4. Make the dough into the ball and place it on the counter. Cover with the bowl and let rest.
5. Make the mashed potatoes: Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Cover and bring to a boil. Add one tablespoon of salt. Once boiling, boil for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.
6. Meanwhile, in a saute pan, saute the shallots and garlic in the butter. Add the other tablespoon of salt.
7. Drain the potatoes.
8. Add the potatoes to the shallot mixture and mix together.
9. Mash the potatoes wither with a food mill, a ricer, or a potato masher, or grating blade of your food processor.
10. Add the heavy cream to the potato mixture and mix well.
11. Assemble: Cut the dough into quarters and cover three of them with a towel, so they don’t dry out.
12. Roll out the one piece so it’s 1/8 inch thick. Make sure to flour the counter so the dough doesn’t stick!
13. Cut out 3 inch circles with a glass, cookie cutter, or whatever you have lying around.
14. Place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of mixture in the middle of the circle.
15. Fold the circle in half and pinch the edges, making sure they’re sealed all around. The dough is stretchy, so you will be able to stretch it over the big mound of filling. Make sure not to pull too tight so it doesn’t rip! Repeat until you finish all the dough.
16. Place on a wax paper lined baking sheet covered with corn meal.
17. Freeze in a single layer.
18. To cook: bring a pot of water to a boil and add the pierogis. Once they float, boil for another 5-9 minutes. Drain.
19. Add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter to a pan and place over high heat. Fry the pierogis until browned, then flip over and fry the other side. Serve warm and ENJOY your hard work!
