A Dumpling in the Hand…

…is obviously worth far more than two in the bush. ‘A dumpling, a dumpling, my kingdom for a dumpling’ and so on. Clearly with the cold weather upon us and Pancake Day no more than a distant memory, we still crave comfort food, so let us celebrate the dumpling in all its cultural diversity. The English favour the stodgy suet dumpling, an unstuffed ball which is robust enough to prop up the meatiest stew. The Chinese have Won Ton, the Japanese Gyoza, the Italians have Ravioli, to name but a few, but the Poles have Pierogi, which, quite frankly, knock the rest into a cocked hat.*

*I hereby declare my bias, being Polish.

Pierogi** are similar to ravioli: dough parcels which are stuffed and boiled. Traditional fillings are cheese and potato or sauerkraut and wild mushroom, though you can also fill them with meat, fruit or preserves. There is also an unstuffed version Leniwe (Lazy) Pierogi which are similar to English dumplings but without the suet. (I’ll add a recipe for Lazy Pierogi at a later date :))

**Pierogi (Pyeh-ro-ghee) is the plural of Pierog, so if you see reference to “pierogies” or “pierogis” you can sneer disdainfully and point out the error.

They are very easy to make (my 9 yo daughter is a dab hand), although the process can be quite time consuming. It’s worth making a large batch, which I would recommend as they freeze well. It is also quite a fun family activity, my daughter helps with the stuffing while I’m rolling, just as I helped my Mum when I was little, and having a production line speeds up the process.

Pierogi Recipe

The following recipe will make around 50. Make your fillings in advance to speed up the process and ensure they have time to cool. The dough is best rolled immediately as it is quite elastic when still slightly warm. 

Sauerkraut and Mushroom Filling

This is the traditional Wigilia (Christmas Eve) filling for Pierogi and a lot nicer than it sounds to non-Poles. I know that the English do not care particularly for sauerkraut, but do give it a try.

1 jar sauerkraut, drained and rinsed. (Retain the drained liquid) 
1 small onion, finely chopped
dried wild mushrooms (ceps), rehydrated in boiling water. (You can use fresh if preferred, but choose mushrooms with some flavour, like oyster, shitake or chestnut, not bland, white champignons)
butter
Bay leaf
Whole peppercorns, or ground pepper to taste

Fry the onion in the butter until soft and translucent. Add the remaining ingredients, together with a little of the mushroom liquid. I like a little of the salty sourness from the sauerkraut to remain so add back some of the drained sauerkraut liquid so it isn’t too bland. Sauté gently until cooked and the surplus liquid has evaporated. Adjust seasoning if required.

Remove the bay leaf. Mince or pulse the filling in a food processor so that there are no large pieces, but it still retains some texture. You may want to remove any whole peppercorns that remain. Allow to cool completely before stuffing the pierogi. This filling is best made in advance and set aside until needed. You can store it in the fridge for a couple of days. Alternatively, put the hot filling into heated, sterile jars for longer term storage.

Pierogi Dough

10oz plain flour
1 egg*** 
salt

***some purists say that egg is superfluous and will make your dough hard, but my motheralways included it, as do I.

The traditional method is to pile the flour on a table or work surface, make a well in the centre, add the beaten egg and work in the remaining flour together with a little warm water to make a loose, soft dough. Of course, a quick whizz in the food processor works just as well, but take care not overwork the dough and ensure that you use tepid water, which will make the dough soft and pliable.

Once you have your dough, roll it out in batches on a lightly floured surface and cut into rounds using a glass (a straight pint glass works very well) or round cutter. The dough should be rolled very thinly as it will expand when cooked, so keep rolling until the point where it is almost too thin to stuff but not quite. Rework any offcuts until all the dough is used up.

Method

To stuff the pierogi, put a teaspoon of filling in the centre of the dough (fill them generously), brush a little milk or water around the inside edge of the dough. Fold the round in half and press the edges together, taking care to avoid catching the filling between them. Crimp the edges between your fingers (thumb and first two fingers works for me), giving a frilled effect, then drop them carefully into a large pot of salted boiling water to which a little oil has been added.

They are ready when they float to the surface, though allow an extra minute or two if your filling has been chilled or your pierogi are fat. We do them in small batches of 3-5 as they are stuffed, taking them out of the water with a slotted spoon and stacking them on an oiled plate. The oil in the boiling water helps prevent them from sticking together, so top this up as needed. 

You can obviously eat them straight out of the boiling water like pasta, plain or topped with some breadcrumbs fried in butter, or we just fry them up in butter until golden. Fruit or jam filled pierogi are lovely with a drizzle of cream.

They’ll keep in the fridge for several days or in the freezer for several months.

Alternative Fillings

Another common filling for pierogi is potato and cheese, often referred to as Ruskie (Roos-kyeh). Simply mix in some finely grated or soft cheese into seasoned mashed potato. I find that cheese with a bit of flavour works best. I like to use Boursin, which is a soft cheese flavoured with garlic and herbs. Not traditional, but very tasty. Ruskie Pierogi are nice topped with crispy bacon and/or fried onion.

Meat fillings can also be used. Personally, I dislike turning good meat into paste, so never make these. I’d rather make a good beef stew and serve it with unstuffed (Leniwe) pierogi or gnocchi. 

Sweet fillings are also traditional. Bilberries (or blueberries) are common, stewed apple or preserves. Jams tend to be a bit too wet, so preserves or conserves work best. 

You can fill your pierogi with anything you like. If it is lumpy or a bit wet, you may have to roll your dough a bit thicker to better support your filling. I’ve speculated that fusion fillings such as leftover Christmas dinner, or Christmas pudding might be fun. And, why not? 

What will you fill yours with?