Pierogi – Cheese Savoury

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  Mama made these very often – I loved them.

• She often made them for Friday, when this was a meatless day.
• In Poland you may see these savoury cheese ones on a menu  as Pierogi ruskie   – that is  Ruthanian pierogi – from the old word for the Ukraine.
• My mother would  boil extra potatoes on one day and save some to make these fillings the next.
• They are super fried up later.

Ingredients – Cheese 1

• 400g floury potatoes
• 1 onion
• 200g curd cheese/twaróg or yoghurt cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• Butter & oil to fry the onion
• Salt & ground black pepper to taste

Method

• Peel and boil the potatoes in salted water, strain and mash, then leave to cool.
• Chop the onion finely and fry it till it is soft and golden, allow it to cool.
• Mix together thoroughly, the potatoes, onions, cheese and egg yolk.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients – Cheese 2

• When my mother did not have any curd cheese, she used Lancashire cheese, as that was the cheese most readily available to her.
• Both versions taste good, the secret with this one is to grate the cheese as finely as possible and mix it in well.
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• 400g floury potatoes
• 1 onion
• 200g white crumbly cheese such as Lancashire
• 1 egg yolk
• Butter & oil to fry the onion
• Salt & ground black pepper to taste

Method

• Peel and boil the potatoes in salted water, strain and mash, then leave to cool.
• Chop the onion finely and fry it till it is soft and golden, allow it to cool.
• Grate the cheese as finely as possible.
• Mix together thoroughly, the potatoes, onions, cheese and egg yolk.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

Make the pierogi in the usual way – instructions are given below.

• Ingredients – Dough

• 500g pasta flour or strong flour or plain flour & 2 tablespoons of fine semolina
• 300ml water
• 1 – 2 tablespoons oil – sunflower or light olive
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 egg yolks
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• Melted butter for serving or chopped onions cooked in butter.

Method – Dough

• 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.
• 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 tray and cover it with a clean tea towel and sprinkle this with flour.
• Have a large surface such as a tray covered with a cotton or linen cloth which has been lightly floured ready  and 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.
• I have noticed some people make them larger – I will try this out soon.
• 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.
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• 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).
• 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 or perforated spoon and put into a colander above a pan for a few seconds to drain and serve.
• 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.*
• Put in the pierogi and add melted butter.
• Keep the dish warm in a low oven.
  • *I often open freeze them for later.