Pierogi – Sauerkraut & Carrot

• I tried some pierogi recently which had a variation on the sauerkraut filling.
• The mixture contained grated carrot.
• I discovered that the sauerkraut and carrot mix can be bought in a jar and this is what I used.

Ingredients – Filling

• 1 jar of sauerkraut and carrots
• 1 large onion – chopped fine
• 25 -30g dried mushrooms – soaked overnight
• Butter to fry the onion
• Salt & Pepper to taste

• OPTION 
• Add fresh mushrooms fried in butter and chopped fine to the filling.

Method – Filling

• Soak the mushrooms overnight.
• Strain the mushrooms – keep the liquor.
• Chop the mushrooms into small pieces.
• Strain the sauerkraut and carrot mixture – keep the liquid – there may not be very much.
• Chop the sauerkraut and carrots into small pieces.
• Put the sauerkraut and carrot mixture and liquid into a pan.
• Add the chopped mushrooms and the liquor.
• Add boiling water to cover.
• Put a lid on the pan
• Cook the gently for around 30 minutes.
• Check occasionally.
• Leave to cool.
• Strain the mixture in a large sieve
• You can put this into a clean dry cotton or linen cloth and twist the ends together –
• Squeeze to get it really dry.
• *
• Chop the onions finely and fry them till they are soft and golden.
• Mix the sauerkraut, carrots, mushrooms and onions together.
• Add some ground black pepper to taste; salt should not be necessary.
•  
• (Add the fried chopped mushrooms if using.)
•  
• I have written much previously about pierogi  – but have again included the instructions for the dough below.

Ingredients – Dough

• 500g pasta flour or strong flour or plain flour & 2 tablespoons of fine semolina
• 300ml water
• 1 tablespoon oil – sunflower or light olive
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 egg yolks
• *
• Melted butter to serve

Method

• In a jug or bowl mix together the water, oil and the yolks
• Put the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
• Pour in the liquid from the jug and initially use a knife to mix this into the flour and then use your hands to mix the liquid and flour to get a ball of dough.
• Leave for around 20 -30 minutes in a cool place.

• Turn this out onto a floured board and knead the dough for a few minutes until you have a smooth ball.
• Cut the dough into quarters.
• On a floured board roll out a quarter at a time until you have a sheet of thinly rolled dough.
• Now prepare a large trays and cover them with clean tea towel sprinkle with flour.
•  Place the sealed pierogi on this until they are all made, do not let then touch each other.
• I cut them out using a 7 cm diameter cutter.
• The excess dough can be re-mixed and rolled out again.
• Around a half tablespoon of filling is put on  each circle and then they are folded over and the edges pinched together to make a good seal.
• You learn from experience how much filling to put in as too much will make it hard to seal them and if not properly sealed they will burst on boiling. 
• Do not worry if you have a few mishaps – it still happens to me even with experience – it is hard to salvage one that has gone wrong – just accept that there will be a few that you do not cook.
• *
• To cook the pierogi, use a large pan of boiling water to which you have added some salt and a drizzle of oil.
• Drop the pierogi in one by one and allow them to boil.  I usually do about 6 to 8 at a time (I only do 6 at a time if using frozen ones). ( I often open free some of them.)
• As they cook they will float to the surface, let them boil for 2 to 3 minutes, a bit more if they were frozen, and then remove them with a slotted spoon and put into a colander above a pan for a few seconds to drain.
• Continue boiling batches in the same water.
• If you want to make all the pierogi to serve together then you need to get a large shallow dish and put in the pierogi and add melted butter.
• As you take out the cooked pierogi add them in the dish.
• Keep the dish in a  warm oven.
• Keep on adding more as they cook
• Do not let them stick together – keep mixing them in the butter.
• OPTIONS
• Serve with melted butter or
• Melted butter and breadcrumbs or
• Onions fried in butter or
• With fried bacon bits – skwarki.