Pierogi - Potato Dumpling

Instructions

1. Transcript: How to Make Pierogi Hi, I\'m Chef John Mitzewich for About.com. Today I\'m going to show you how to make pierogi, that famous Eastern European potato dumpling -- so rustic, so delicious, and pretty easy.

2. Boil Potatoes We\'re going to take a pound of russet potatoes and boil in salted water until tender. We\'re also going to brown 1/2 diced onion in 2 tbsp of butter. When the potatoes are tender drain them very well and add the browned onions. Add salt and pepper to taste and give that a mash.

3. Mix Cheese and Mashed Potatoes Then add 1/2 cup ricotta cheese and 1/2 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese. By the way, this is going to make more filling than you need, but I don\'t want to cook less than a potato, so you can freeze the rest until next time. Taste the filling for seasoning and set aside.

4. Make the Pierogi Dough To make the dough: very simple - take 1 egg and 1/3 cup of milk and a pinch of salt. Give that a whisk and then add about a cup of flour. I put half in and stir, then add the other half and stir, and when that comes together to form thick sticky dough, transfer to a floured board. Once it\'s on the board, use lots of flour and knead until you have a smooth, supple dough. It should be soft, but not sticky. Then wrap it in plastic and let rest for 15 minutes.

5. Roll the Dough I like to cut it and do half at a time. Then roll it out nice and thin using a floured board. You want to get it about 1/8th inch thick, a little thinner is even better. I\'m going to use a pastry cutter to cut 4 inch circles. Save the excess trimmings to re-roll.

6. Add the Pierogi Filling To fill, paint them with an egg wash, which is just a beaten egg. Add a spoon of filling and fold it over in half and seal the edges. Pinch the edges nice and tight so the filling doesn\'t come out. This batch of dough will make about 24. I put them on a plastic wrapped plate as I make them.

7. Sauté Pierogis To finish: take a sauté pan and melt a couple tablespoons of butter. Cook over med-low heat until the butter turns a shade of nutty brown and then turn off. Bring some salted water to a boil and place in the pierogi. You can do this in batches. When they float, boil for 3-4 minutes. Transfer them into the pan with the brown butter and cook until browned on both sides. You can cook as much as you like, some people just barely like to have some color, or you can make crispy. I kind of a crispy person myself. Garnish with sour cream and I like a little chive. Super simple, super rustic, just great Eastern European comfort food. These are traditionally made for festivals and celebrations. I really hope you give these a try. Enjoy!