In Poland, pierogi aren't consumed as frequently as you might think, mostly because they are a lot of work. Actually now that I think of it, a lot of Polish traditional dishes are made from cheap ingredients that need a lot of TLC to bring out the amazing flavours. Think cabbage rolls, potato pancakes, hunter stew, tripe soup, and all those Polish restaurant classics.
So since I had a little extra time this weekend since B flew to Canada, I decided to get my "babcia" on and take on the ultimate culinary challenge: pierogi- 2 ways!
Perogis vs. Pierogi
However, in the last decade, people have started diversifying the fillings for their pierogi to reflect culinary trends. I have seen spinach and feta pierogi, red lentil pierogi, pumpkin pierogi, and even kale pierogi. I don't know why I used to think that this was blasphemy, like, come on, are you such a hipster that cabbage won't cut it for you anymore?!
I was wrong.
Though the authentic and traditional flavours will always have a place in my heart, I have learned to embrace these contemporary twists on the classic Polish dumpling.
That's why I decided to make two different types of pierogi this Sunday afternoon: cabbage and sundried tomato with feta cheese. One is an homage to the crush that the nation has on cabbage and the other- some leftover stuff I had in my fridge.
I'm leaving you with a recipe for dough that I received from my mother-in-law and two filling options. Feel free to experiment with the flavours and let me know how they turned out for you!
Ingredients for Pierogi Dough
- 4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1.5 cups of warm water
- 1/8 tsp of salt
Ingredients for Cabbage Filled Pierogi
- 450g of sauerkraut
- 1 grated carrot
- 2 medium sized onions
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Thyme
- 1/2 tsp Rosemary
- 1/2 tsp Marjoram
- Pepper
- Salt
- vegeta
Ingredients for Feta & Sundried Tomato Filled Pierogi
- 250g of feta cheese
- 3 tbsp of sundried tomato and olive paste
How to make Authentic (Cabbage Filled) and Modern (Feta & Sundried Tomato) Pierogi
3. While you are waiting for your cabbage to boil, start making the other filling. Mix the two ingredients together until they are well incorporated. Do not overmix! You do not want it to lose its chunky consistency and have it become too much like spreadable cream cheese.
5. Start making the dough by mixing the egg and the warm water in a food processor. Add the flour slowly with the salt and mix until it starts coming together. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until you get a nice elastic consistency that no longer sticks to your hands. You might need to adjust your amount of flour or warm water to achieve this.
6. Once your dough and fillings are ready, it's time to shape your pierogi. Start by dusting your work surface with flour. Then take 1/5 of your dough and roll it out thinly. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter, a wide mouthed tea cup or anything circular with a sharp edge. I ended up using the cup of a martini shaker! When you pick up your circle of dough, stretch it out and then fill it with your filling of choice. Try not to get it on the edges because then it becomes more difficult to pinch close. Pinching the edges to close the pierog is a very important step because failing to do it properly, you risk losing the filling in the boiling pot which results in a disappointing empty pierog and murky water for the rest of your pierogi to boil in.
8. Plop a few pierogi into the boiling water at a time. How many? This depends on the size of your pot, but I would say no more than one "layer" on the bottom of your pot. Once your pierogi rise to the surface of the water, time them for 4 minutes. Then take them out with a slotted spoon and throw in another batch. Keep going until you are done.
What I have learned is that when it comes to pierogi, it's totally OK to use your imagination and your culinary preferences- in fact, it's desired! What's your amazing idea for pierogi?
Bisouxx,
B[ZU]