Pierogis

Normally, I reserve making pierogis for Christmas. Being from a Polish family, it is our traditional dinner on Christmas Eve - the wigilia, or "vigil." However, when there is a two pound jar of sauerkraut staring at me from inside the fridge (taking up covetous space), I decided that April was a fine time for the tasty dumplings.

The dough for pierogis is easy to make, and is not at all tempermental. I use a fair amount of flour when rolling, perhaps because of the humidity of the climate. Once rolled out, the dough is pretty elastic, and will stretch over a generous amount of the filling, if handled carefully.

There are a few different ways to serve pierogis. I usually end up freezing them and eating them at a later date. When it's time for reheating them, I layer the pierogis in a baking pan, and drizzle them with a little melted butter and caramelized onions. Then, I cover the pan and bake until heated through. The frozen pierogis end up steaming a bit while they bake, and come out just as pillowy soft as when they are fresh.

Pierogis
adapted from Polish Cooking
By Marianna Olszewska Heberle


4 c flour
2 eggs
5 Tbs sour cream
3 Tbs vegetable oil
Pinch of salt
¾ c water
Filling (recipe follows)

2 medium onions, diced
1 stick melted butter


Lightly flour 2 baking sheets. Sift flour into a large bowl or onto a flat working surface. Make a well in the center. Break eggs into the well. Add sour cream, oil and salt. Blend ingredients. Gradually add water, working and kneading mixture into a smooth, pliable dough. Divide dough into quarters. Cover 3 portions of the dough with a lightly damp cloth. On a floured surface, roll 1 portion of the dough to a thickness of 1/16th inch. Cut 3 ½ to 4-inch circles. Place rounded tablespoon of filling into the center of each circle. Fold dough over the filling and crimp edges closed. Place crimped pierogis on the baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough portions.

Drop pierogis in boiling water in batches of 5-6. Stir gently to prevent sticking. Cook about 4 minutes, or until they float to the top. Drain in a colander.

Cheese Filling:

1 c cottage cheese
1 egg yolk
½ tsp salt
Pinch of ground white pepper

Strain cottage cheese through a cheese cloth to remove excess water. Combine strained cheese with the other ingredients.

Saurekraut Filling:

1 Tbs butter
1 small onion, chopped
32 oz sauerkraut

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute onion until soft. Add sauerkraut and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.