Pierogi Ruskie
Hand-pinched dumplings filled with potato, twaróg and fried onion, tossed in butter and finished with crisp bacon or sour cream.
Origin & history
Pierogi are boiled-then-fried dumplings with roots in medieval eastern Europe, related to Ukrainian varenyky and Russian pelmeni. The 'ruskie' filling — potato, curd cheese and onion — refers to the Ruthenian (east Slavic) culinary tradition of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. They are a fixture of Polish Wigilia and everyday home cooking.
Ingredients
Quantities recalculate automatically.
Dough
Filling
To serve
The method
Step by step
- 01
Make the dough
38 minMix the flour with the hot water, egg, melted butter and a pinch of salt, knead 8 minutes until smooth and rest covered for 30 minutes.
- 02
Cook and mash the filling
20 minBoil the potatoes until tender, drain and mash. Fry the onions until golden and fold through with the cheese, salt and plenty of black pepper.
- 03
Roll and cut
10 minRoll the dough 2 mm thin on a floured surface and cut 8 cm discs.
- 04
Fill and seal
15 minPlace a spoon of filling on each disc, fold over and pinch the seam firmly, crimping the edge so it holds.
Keep the dough covered as you work or it dries and cracks.
- 05
Boil
8 minDrop into salted boiling water in batches. They are ready about 2 minutes after they float to the surface.
- 06
Fry and serve
6 minToss in foaming butter until lightly golden, then serve with soured cream and chives.
Chef tips
- — Freeze uncooked pierogi on a tray, then bag them.
- — Do not overcrowd the pot — they stick together.
Common mistakes
- — Thin seams that burst during boiling.
- — Wet filling, which tears the dough.
Substitutions
- Twaróg → Dry cottage cheese or ricotta, drainedDrain well to avoid a wet filling.
- Plain flour → Gluten-free flour blendAdd 1 tsp xanthan gum.
Storage & serving
Refrigerate cooked pierogi up to 2 days, or freeze raw for 3 months.
Serve with fried bacon and onion for the non-vegetarian version.
Food safety
Boil until the dough is cooked through and the filling piping hot.
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