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Pierogi Z Kapustą I Grzybami
Serves 30-35 Prep 50 min Cook 35 min Total 1 hr 25 min Type Meal Origin Polish

Pierogi Z Kapustą I Grzybami

Polish dumplings filled with sauerkraut and dried wild mushrooms - Christmas Eve pierogi, and an everyday pierogi the rest of the year. The filling is sour, earthy, deep; the dough is slightly elastic from kneading. Boiled briefly, then often pan-fried in butter for a crisp golden bottom.

Serves 30 Prep 50 minutes Cook 35 minutes Units Rate

Overview

Dried wild mushrooms (porcini if you can get them) rehydrate; sauerkraut squeezes dry. Both cook down with onion in butter until reduced and intense. The dough is plain, flour, egg, water, salt, oil, kneaded smooth and rested. Each circle gets a teaspoon of filling, folds, seals. Boiled until they float, then often pan-finished in butter with onions and a spoonful of soured cream on the side.

Ingredients

Filling

  • 30 g dried porcini (or wild mushrooms, rehydrated 30 min in 250 ml hot water)
  • 500 g sauerkraut
  • 50 g unsalted butter
  • 2 onions (medium, finely chopped)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 black peppercorns (lightly cracked)
  • 200 g chestnut mushrooms (finely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • Black pepper

Dough

  • 500 g plain flour
  • 1 egg (large)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
  • 250 ml warm water

To finish

  • 50 g unsalted butter (for pan-frying or tossing)
  • 2 onions (sliced; for fried-onion topping)
  • Soured cream (to serve)
  • Fresh dill (chopped, to garnish)

Method

Stage 1 - Filling

  1. Squeeze the sauerkraut hard to remove excess liquid; chop roughly.
  2. Drain the rehydrated wild mushrooms (save 100 ml of the soaking liquid); chop finely.
  3. Melt the butter in a heavy pan over medium-low heat.
  4. Cook the onions 10-12 minutes until soft and just golden.
  5. Add the chopped chestnut and wild mushrooms; cook 8 minutes until they release and reabsorb their liquid.
  6. Add the sauerkraut, bay, peppercorns, marjoram, salt and 100 ml mushroom soaking liquid.
  7. Cook 15-20 minutes more, stirring, until the mixture is dry-ish, dark and intensely flavoured.
  8. Discard the bay leaf and any peppercorns you can find. Cool fully.

Stage 2 - Dough

  1. Whisk the egg, salt and water; pour into a well in the flour with the oil.
  2. Mix to a shaggy dough; knead 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
  3. Cover and rest 30 minutes.

Stage 3 - Shape

  1. Divide the dough in half (cover the half you're not using).
  2. Roll thin (2 mm) on a floured surface.
  3. Cut 8 cm circles.
  4. Place a teaspoon of filling on each; fold over to a half-moon; pinch firmly to seal.
  5. Lay on a floured tea towel; don't let them touch.
  6. Repeat with the second half.

Stage 4 - Fried onions

  1. Cook the sliced onion in 50 g of butter over medium heat 12-15 minutes until deep golden.

Stage 5 - Boil

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a steady boil.
  2. Drop pierogi in batches of 8-10. They sink, then rise - cook 2-3 minutes from when they float.
  3. Lift with a slotted spoon; toss with butter and onions.

Stage 6 - (Optional) pan-fry

  1. For a crisp version: after boiling, fry the pierogi in butter over medium heat 2-3 minutes per side until golden on both sides.

Stage 7 - Serve

  1. Pile onto plates; spoon over fried onions and butter; top with dill.
  2. Pass soured cream alongside.

Notes

  • Squeeze the sauerkraut hard: Wet sauerkraut makes wet filling makes pierogi that tear in the boil. The drier the better.
  • Two mushrooms: Dried wild ones for the deep umami flavour; fresh chestnut for body. Either alone is fine; together is better.
  • Make-ahead: Shape the pierogi and freeze on a floured tray. Once frozen, transfer to a bag. Boil from frozen with 1-2 minutes extra.

Storage

  • Cooked pierogi refrigerate 3 days; reheat in a buttered pan.
  • Frozen raw pierogi keep 3 months.

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