{"id":3111,"date":"2019-03-29T05:03:23","date_gmt":"2019-03-29T05:03:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simpletasty.recipes\/?p=3111"},"modified":"2019-12-05T16:17:49","modified_gmt":"2019-12-05T16:17:49","slug":"14-authentic-tips-for-making-pierogi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simpletasty.recipes\/14-authentic-tips-for-making-pierogi\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Authentic Tips for Making Pierogi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Pierogi is a central European dish enjoyed in Poland and several other countries on the continent. These are little filled dumplings that are tasty, comforting, warming, and convenient and easy to eat on the go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make them, you will essentially be wrapping unleavened dough \u2013 such as noodle dough – around savory or even sweet fillings and then cooking in boiling water, or pan-frying. The result is that the soft dough will house a really tasty and warming food inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polish pierogi \u2013 which is the kind you\u2019re most likely to experience \u2013 is typically made by boiling and by using noodle dough. That said, you can enjoy varieties that are enjoyed in Hungary, Latvia, or anywhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is one of those highly versatile dishes and once you know the basics, you can then enjoy all kinds of different variations. In this post, we\u2019ll look at the basics of how to make them, and a whole host of different tips that will allow you to try out different versions and the best possible outcomes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 Making the Dough<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To make the dough, you are going to want to use 2 cups of all-purpose flour, one large egg, one teaspoon of salt, and one cup of water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making the dough is really easy too. Start by placing the flour in a large bowl on a work surface and making a small well in the middle. You\u2019re then going to break your egg into that well, and add a little bit of salt and some lukewarm water. Do this gradually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now bring the dough together by kneading it and adding more flour or water as necessary in order to prevent it being too dry and sticky, or too wet and soft. Divide the dough in half and cover with a towel. Allow to sit for about 20 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re now going to leave this dough as it is though \u2013 as you will actually use it raw when you wrap it around the meat!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2 This Great Filling<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are countless great fillings for pierogi and as mentioned, that is really part of what makes this such a great skill to learn!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want one filling that is going to be very quick and easy to make, and that will serve as a great example for us to kick off with, then you might consider cheese and potato. This filling is perfect because it is very quick and easy to make, and because you don\u2019t need to spend a long time cooking it \u2013 there\u2019s no meat to worry about for instance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make this one you will need:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • 2lbs russet potatoes (scrubbed and boiled in their jackets)<\/li>
  • 2tbsp of onion (raw, saut\u00e9ed)<\/li>
  • 8 ounces of ricotta<\/li>
  • Salt and pepper to taste<\/li>
  • A small amount of butter<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Making this one couldn\u2019t be simpler either. Just peel the potatoes and blend them with your fork. Now mix the saut\u00e9ed onion and cheese in and taste. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    3 Making the Pockets<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Pierogi are essentially like little parcels that will hold your filling, allowing you to more easily cook it and then making it very easy and convenient to eat by hand or with a fork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You have your dough and you have your filling. So bring the dough over and use round shape cutters to make some circular pieces. These shouldn\u2019t be large \u2013 perhaps the size of a coffee mug rim. Now you\u2019re going to place just a small portion of the filling into the middle of each of those circles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Next, fold the dough in half so that it completely covers the filling. There should be just a little bit of extra dough at the edges. And that is what you are now going to squeeze together in order to adhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Using your thumbs, you\u2019ll create a little pattern by doing this. Don\u2019t leave any gaps!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Be sure to gather your leftover dough, re-roll and then continue!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    4 Boiling<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    One option now is to boil your pierogi. The good news is that this is quick and easy to do. Just drop the pierogi into the pan of water. The advice states that you should do just six at a time, but as long as you have a big enough bowl you needn\u2019t worry about that \u2013 as you won\u2019t want them to get cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The cooking time here will vary but the very easy piece of advice is that you are going to cook them until they float up to the top. At this point, keep them simmering for just a few minutes, and then remove with a slotted spoon. Stand on the kitchen towel to drain off the hot water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    5 Frying<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    While it is a little bit less traditional in Poland and Russia, you can also try frying your pierogi in order to make them deliciously crispy on the outside while still cooking the pasta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In fact, if you head to a modern Polish restaurant, then this is actually how you might <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So, another option then is to try frying your pierogi. Do this by taking them and adding them to a hot pan filled with just a little oil. Make sure to keep tossing and turning them to ensure that you cook every surface evenly, and then you can dish up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can also fry your pierogi with a few other things, one option is to fry them with a little bit of red onion and some bacon lardons. Place these in a pan and fry on a hot heat with plenty of oil. Then add in the pierogi and they will this way become infused with the bacon drippings and the caramelized red onion \u2013 it\u2019s delicious and it\u2019s a very modern take on the concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    6 Boil and Fry<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Another option that is increasingly popular is to boil the pierogi and then to fry them. This can be useful if your filling could benefit from a little bit of extra cooking, which might be the case with the red onion if you are not a big fan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What you\u2019re going to do now is to boil the pierogi as before in some hot water and to allow to get warm through. After that though, you\u2019re then going to place them into a pan with some oil in order to fry around the edges and crisp them up. Having one side nicely flattened and slightly burned is actually perfect for pierogi!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is the best of both worlds and is again a slightly more modern approach to this classic dish!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    7 Experiment With Fillings<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    One of the most important tips when it comes to pierogi is to experiment with your fillings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Pierogi was traditionally peasant food, and therefore it largely involves the use of lots of vegetables and potatoes \u2013 which are more affordable than meats. Likewise, pierogi was also popular during WW2, which is again a testament to how affordable the recipe is and how useful it is when you have a limited range of ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The whole point is that on those evenings where you look in your cupboard and you have nothing to make\u2026 you can probably make pierogi. If you have egg and you have flour, then you can take any other ingredients leftover in your fridge and make a pierogi! Got a little bacon and some broccoli? Great, that will do just nicely!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One more example that is very popular for instance is mushroom and sauerkraut filling. This one uses 50g of dried mushrooms, 250g of sauerkraut, and 40g of butter. Sauerkraut actually has a lot of health benefits and is another popular ingredient in European cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    8 Serve With Caramelized Onion or Bacon<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Now that you have learned the valuable skill of making pierogi, you might find yourself asking a new question: what is the best way to serve this? What do you offer with <\/em>the pierogi?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There are plenty of answers to this question, but if you\u2019d like to go with one of the most common, popular, and delicious, then you could always try caramelized red onion (strips) along with some bacon. Just take your red onion, cut it finely into slices, and place all of that in a hot pan with some oil. Fry this on high heat, and the idea is that you\u2019ll be able to make the red onion turn sticky and sweet, while also creating a whole lot of bacon drippings. You can then place these things on top of the pierogi, and pour the drippings on as well. It really adds to this meal and makes it much more exciting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Otherwise, why not serve with some veg on the side? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    9 Serve With a Tomato Mascarpone<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The thing to realize though is that pierogi is actually a whole meal in and of itself \u2013 and you don\u2019t actually need <\/em>to serve it up with anything else unless you feel as though something is particularly missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That said then, what you might want to serve along with the pierogi is a little bit of sauce. And one of the most interesting options is to use a tomato sauce. You can do this by using mascarpone, which is fantastic, and maybe a little bit of cheese on top as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This actually makes the meal a little bit like a fusion, and you may have noticed that it\u2019s actually very similar to a ravioli. Adding some tomato sauce on top then almost makes this like a fusion dish!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    10 Try Meaty Fillings<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Of course, one of the things that sets a ravioli apart is that it is stuffed with meat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Well not necessarily! In fact, pierogi can very often be stuffed with meat, and this is one of the best ways to enjoy it. If you want to enjoy a nice meaty pierogi, then one recipe to try is simply using pieces of pork, a little bit of onion, saut\u00e9ed potato, and some bacon. You can even put in small bits of apple!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Or why not try going for some ground beef? This is another option that is popular in Polish cuisine, finding itself into a wealth of dishes, include golumpki!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    11 Don\u2019t Overcook<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    In fact, you don\u2019t need to worry too much about cooking the dough thoroughly. There is nothing in here that is going to cause you any harm if you eat it raw, and not only that but the ingredients are also actually quite nice when eaten a little soft \u2013 this is how pierogi should <\/em>really be enjoyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So the tip here then is just not to go overboard when it comes to the cooking. Put it in the water or on the pan for a short while to let it cool, and then serve it up as soon as it\u2019s hot and edible. That means that you need all of the ingredients inside the pierogi to be edible \u2013 nothing horribly raw in here!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can also enjoy this cold if you like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    12 Giant Pierogi<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    There are plenty of variations on the theme of pierogi, and this is coming to the fore especially at the moment due to all the Polish restaurants opening up and trying to muscle in on the Italian turf!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A giant pierogi is exactly what it sounds like: instead of making lots of smaller pierogi, you\u2019re instead going to make one giant one by taking your pasta sheet, piling your filling in the middle, and then placing it in a pan to cook. That\u2019s one pierogi each, and if you make a nice sauce to go on top, then this can be a really satisfying meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Again, for extra points you can try frying it, or even popping it in the oven shortly, once the meal has cooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Another option is to make a few large pierogi \u2013 so that each person has a few on their plate, rather than lots of small ones in a dish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    13 Sweet Pierogi<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Did you know that pierogi can also be a sweet dessert? You can put chocolate in here, treacle, syrup\u2026 whatever you like!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One great filling is to use 200g of fresh blueberries, and 2tbsp of caster sugar. This is a relatively healthy option that is just brimming with juicy flavor. After all, blueberries are an excellent source of antioxidants which can help boost energy, fight cancer, and even hold back some of the signs of aging!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Another option would be to use a little bit of chocolate in the form of Nutella or a similar chocolate spread. Spread just a little on here, along with some blueberries or raspberries. Or how about a little bit of cream?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is a great dessert and it\u2019s one that your friends won\u2019t likely have tried, earning you points as host!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    14 Experiment With Polish Cooking!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Our final tip is just not to stop with pierogi. There are tons of fantastic polish dishes. One great one is bigos, which is a large stew that consists of sauerkraut, cabbage, sausage (cabanossi + chorizo), apple, vinegar, and pork. This is a really warming and comforting meal that\u2019s surprisingly delicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Or how about the aforementioned golumpki? A tomatoey meal made from ground beef wrapped in cabbage? It\u2019s extremely easy and it is a really great tasting option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Then, of course, there\u2019s the very well known goulash, which is also popular in Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe. When you think of European food, don\u2019t just think of Italy and Greece \u2013 there are many other great dishes which are fun to cook and even more fun to eat!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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