Authentic Polish Pierogi with Potatoes and Cheese
Try this Authentic Polish Pierogi with Potatoes and Cheese recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Authentic Polish Pierogi with Potatoes and Cheese recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 whole onion chopped
- 5 medium potatoes
- 0.8 oz farmers cheese
- 1 tablespoon blue cheese (optional)
- 2 tablespoon cheddar cheese (optional)
- 1 tablespoon of oil or ghee for onion
- 3 cups whole purpose flour
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup of warm water (depending on how much your
- a little bit of kosher salt
- for the toppings
- 1 large onions chopped
- 3 slabs of bacon chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup of sour cream
- 2 tablespoon of oil or ghee for frying
- Carbohydrate 38.6401942346644 g
- Cholesterol 34.0008894810731 mg
- Fat 12.8303032199243 g
- Fiber 4.70744489726424 g
- Protein 8.18977676419695 g
- Saturated Fat 7.91296424078273 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -8 (293g)
- Sodium 153.087097031953 mg
- Sugar 33.9327493374002 g
- Trans Fat 0.943700602132895 g
- Calories 296 calories
Step-by-step
- Place potatoes in a pot, cover with water and cook until fork tender
- In the meantime heat up the oil or ghee in a frying pan, add onions and cook until golden brown
- Once potatoes are cooked, using a hand blender or potato masher, mashed potatoes so they don't have lumps
- Add farmers cheese and mix together
- Add onions, other cheeses, spices, salt and pepper and mix well.
- Pour the flour on a counter or other surface that will allow you to make the dough
- Add a pinch of salt
- Make a little whole in a middle and start adding milk and butter
- Add a little water at the time and work the dough until you can form a ball about 10-15 minutes
- Once done, cover it with the big bowl and let it rest for about 20-30 minutes
- Roll the dough until thin (like pasta) and using either cookie cutter or large wine glass cut the circles
- Place 1 teaspoon of fling in the middle of the circle
- Wet one half of the circle and then seal it together
- Boil large pot of water and season with salt
- Once the water is boiling put about 8 pierogi at the time
- Once they come to the surface let them cook for 1 minute and using spider or slotted spoon take them out on a plate
- If you want to fry them like I did here, use 1 tablespoon of oil or ghee and fry pierogi on each side until golden brown
- Using separate pans add oil and onions and fry the onions until golden brown and bacon until crispy (you don't need fat for bacon as it is already fatty)
- Add onions and bacon on top with pierogi and serve with sour cream
Unsalted farmer's cheese provides the traditional lactic tang required for authentic pierogi fillings, though ricotta or dry cottage cheese make acceptable stand-ins if pressed through cheesecloth first. Moisture management dictates the success of both the potato mash and the pasta dough. Boil medium russet potatoes whole in their skins to prevent waterlogging, which ruins the texture of the finished mash. Incorporate warm milk and melted butter gradually into the flour well, adjusting the water by tablespoons until a cohesive ball forms. Kneading the dough for 10 to 15 minutes develops the gluten structure necessary to withstand boiling without bursting. Rest the covered dough for 20 to 30 minutes to relax those gluten strands, making the sheet much easier to roll thin.
Working with Cheese Substitutions
Sharp cheddar and blue cheese add pungent depth when used as optional additions, but altering dairy ratios changes the moisture balance of the filling. Farmers cheese remains dry and crumbly, whereas fresh cheeses introduce excess water that can soften the pastry seams during boiling. Press any high-moisture substitute on paper towels for 15 minutes before mixing it into the potatoes. Garlic powder and onion powder distribute evenly throughout the dense starch without adding pockets of liquid that compromise the seal.Boiling and Frying Techniques
Drop precisely eight pierogi into rapidly boiling, salted water to prevent the pot temperature from dropping drastically. Floating signals internal doneness, but allowing them to bob for an additional 60 seconds ensures the raw flour in the folded edge cooks completely. Transfer the boiled dumplings directly to a skillet containing heated oil or ghee. Fry them over medium-high heat for two to three minutes per side until the exterior develops a crisp, golden crust. Top the finished plates with rendered bacon bits and caramelized onions for textural contrast.
