-POLISH CUISINE –
How to make traditional polish pierogi?
Ingredients for 40 pieces
Dough:
300 g wheat flour
pinch of salt
125 ml boiling water
1 egg
20 g butter
Stuffing:
500 g of cooked meat from the broth
cooked vegetables from the soup (1 carrot, 1/2 parsley)
300 g mushrooms
1 large onion
1 tablespoon of butter
1 egg (optional)
How are pierogies traditionally made?
Dough for pierogi
Pour the flour into a bowl, add salt. Put butter in boiling water and melt, gradually pour into the flour, stirring everything with a spoon.
Meanwhile, add a beaten egg and combine all ingredients, knead a smooth dough.
Turn out onto a floured countertop and knead for about 7 – 8 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for about 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 parts and roll out one at a time into a thin sheet (about 2 – 3 mm), dusting the board with flour if necessary.
With a small glass cut out circles, stretch them slightly in your fingers, and put one heaping teaspoon of stuffing in the center.
Fold in half and carefully seal the edges, place on a pastry board.
In a large pot, boil salted water and when it boils vigorously, put the first batch of dumplings (about 15 pieces).
When it boils again, reduce the heat to medium and cook the dumplings for about 2 minutes counting from the moment they float to the surface of the water (until the dough is soft, check with your finger by fishing out one dumpling).
The length of cooking depends on the thickness of the dough. Fish out with a straining spoon onto a plate.
Stuffing
Clean mushrooms with a brush or sponge, cut into smaller pieces. Peel the onion and cut into small cubes. Put the mushrooms and onions in a well-heated pan with butter and over higher heat, steam and brown, stirring from time to time.Grind poultry meat (without skin), beef (including fat), mushrooms, onions and vegetables from the stock in a meat grinder, knead thoroughly, season with salt and pepper. If the filling came out too thin, you can fry it in a pan, if too stiff, you can add a little broth. Add an egg to the stuffing and mix
Making pierogi and cooking
Cut circles out of the rolled out dough with a glass, put one full tablespoon of stuffing in the center (or as much as will fit). Fold the dough in half and carefully stick the edges together, being careful not to let the filling get into the sticking area. Place the finished dumplings on a floured pastry board or countertop. Cover with a cloth until cooked, so they don’t get dry. In a large pot, boil salted water, and as it boils vigorously, put in the first batch of dumplings. When it boils again, reduce the heat to medium and cook the dumplings until the dough is tender. Remove with a straining spoon and place on plates. Serve from water or fry (cooled, dried dumplings). Dumplings from water can be topped with melted butter and fried ones can be sprinkled with cracklings and served with sour cream.
