Pierogi are a Polish type of savory pastry that can be made with almost any kind of filling. Some are boiled in salted water, others are fried in butter, but these are made with yeast dough and baked. They can be served hot, warm, or at room temperature and make a good accompaniment to soup, or they can be served as a course on their own. A selection of pierogi, served warm with a salad or a vegetable stew, makes a hearty supper.
Yeast dough
• 1 package (1 Tbs.) yeast
• ¼ cup warm water
• 2½ Tbs. sugar
• ¾ cup milk
• ½ cup butter
• 1½ tsp. salt
• 4 to 5 cups flour
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 egg yolk
1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water with 1 teaspoon of sugar and leave it for 10 minutes. Heat the milk with the butter, the remaining sugar, and the salt until the butter is melted. Allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm.
2. Gradually beat about 2 cups of the flour into the milk mixture, and when the dough is smooth, stir in the dissolved yeast. Then beat in the eggs and the egg yolk, and continue beating, either by hand or with a heavy-duty mixer, for several minutes.
3. Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured board, cover it with more flour, and begin kneading. Knead for about 10 to 15 minutes, working in as much of the remaining flour as needed to make a smooth, satiny, elastic dough.
4. Form the dough into a ball, brush it lightly with melted butter, put it in a bowl, cover it, and chill it for several hours.
5. When you are ready to make the pierogi, take out the dough, punch it down, and roll it out on a floured board to a thickness of no more than ¼ inch. Cut out rounds about 3½ to 4 inches across. If the dough pulls together too much when the rounds are cut, roll each one a bit more, just before filling it, to make it thin once more.
Mushroom filling for pierogi
• 1½ oz. dried wild mushrooms
• ½ lb. fresh mushrooms
• 2 slices dark bread
• 2½ Tbs. butter
• 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• plenty of salt and pepper
• dill
1. Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for about 1 hour, then rinse them carefully. Wash and trim the fresh mushrooms. Put all the mushrooms through a food mill, using the fine blade, and then put through the dark bread, torn into chunks.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet and sauté the onions and garlic in it until the onions are golden. Add the mushroom and bread mixture and season to taste with salt, pepper, and dill weed. Cook the mixture over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and the mixture is thick. Taste and correct seasoning.
Cabbage filling for pierogi
• 1 large onion
• 3 Tbs. butter
• 3 cups finely shredded cabbage, packed plenty of salt and fresh-ground black pepper
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh dill or 2 tsp. dried
1. Finely chop the onion and sauté it in the butter until it is golden. Add the cabbage and a liberal amount of salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook the vegetables over a low flame, stirring occasionally, for about ½ hour.
2. Let the mixture cool slightly. Sieve the hard-boiled eggs and stir them into the cabbage along with the dill. Taste and correct seasoning.
3. Note: The feta cheese filling for crêpes can also be used as a filling for pierogi.
MAKING THE PIEROGI
1. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each round. Fold the top of the dough over the filling, bring up the sides, and then bring up the bottom, overlapping the edges just slightly. Pinch the dough together where it meets and be sure that the seams are well sealed. When they are, shape the pierogi with your hands to make them smooth and rounded.
2. Place the pierogi, seam side down, on a buttered and floured baking sheet. Cover them with a towel and let them rise for about ½ hour.
3. Make a wash by beating together 1 egg and 1 tablespoonful of milk or cream. Brush the pierogi with the egg wash and bake them in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for ½ hour, or until the crusts are golden brown and shiny.
