Potato, Cheese, and Onion Pierogi
Photo by Mark Weinberg
MAKES
18 pierogi
TAKES
Prep time: 2 hours (includes chill time)
Cook time: 1 hour
Total: 3 hours
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
Pierogi are fun and so satisfying to make. They are especially delicious when freshly cooked, so I love to recommend them as a fun project for folks at home - the result is so worth it! I love these served with some kind of allium, like chopped fresh chives or scallions. Sometimes I’ll also caramelize a large batch of onions when I’m preparing the filling, and toss them with the pierogi while finishing them in step 10.
INGREDIENTS
Pierogi Dough
280 g / 2 ⅓ cups all purpose flour
3 g / ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
75 g / ⅓ cup sour cream
56 g / 1 large egg, at room temperature
42 g / 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
42 g / 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
160 g / ½ large sweet onion, diced
226 g / 8 ounces potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 large potato)
115 g / ½ cup sour cream
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
100 g / 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Finishing
56 g / 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
freshly ground black pepper
chopped fresh chives, scallions, or additional caramelized onions, for finishing (optional)
sour cream, for serving (optional)
Make This Recipe With Me:
METHOD
1. Make the dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the flour and salt on low speed to combine, about 15 seconds. Add the sour cream, egg, and melted butter, and mix until a shaggy dough forms, about 3 minutes. If the dough seems dry or crumbly, add water 5 g / 1 teaspoon at a time until it comes together. Raise the speed to medium and mix until the dough is fairly smooth, about 2 minutes.
2. Turn the dough out and divide into 2 equal pieces (about 225 g each). Form each one into a disk about 1 inch / 2 ½ cm thick. Wrap both pieces tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (and up to 2 days).
3. Make the filling: in a large skillet, melt 28 g / 2 tablespoons of the butter of medium heat. Add the onions, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown and caramelize, 25-30 minutes. Remove from the heat.
4. Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with water by 1 inch / 2 ½ cm, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the potatoes are tender, 12-15 minutes.
5. Drain the potatoes well, and transfer to a medium bowl. Mash them with a potato masher, then fold in the sour cream, the remaining butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the browned onions and cheese, cover, and set aside.
6. Shape the pierogi: on a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to ⅛ inch / 3 mm thick. Use a 3 ¼ inch / 8 cm round cookie cutter to cut rounds from the dough. (Remove and reserve the scrap dough to re-roll as needed.) You should end up with 18 rounds total after rolling out both pieces of dough.
7. Place about 25 g / 1 heaping tablespoon filling on one side of one round and gently fold the dough over the filling, taking care that there are no air pockets, to make a half-moon. If the dough is at all tacky, you can seal the pierogi without water. If the dough is dry or there is visible flour, use your fingertip to apply a little water to one side of the dough to help seal the edges. Use your fingers to firmly pinch the edges to seal, or press the tines of a small fork against them to help seal the edges.
8. As you work, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and continue until all pieces of dough are filled.
9. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Working in batches, add a few pierogi at a time to the water. They will sink to the bottom briefly, and if you add too many at once, they risk sticking to each other. Cook the pierogi until they float to the surface and the dough is cooked through, 4-5 minutes. Remove the pierogi from the water with a spider or a slotted spoon, draining well, and transfer to a large bowl or platter. Repeat with the remaining pierogi.
10. To finish the pierogi, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the drained pierogi and cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides. Sprinkle with lots of pepper and finish with chives, scallions, or additional caramelized onions, if using. Serve immediately with sour cream, if desired.
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
