Anitas Polish Pierogies Food

POLISH MEAT PIEROGI RECIPE

Steps:

• Put flour, egg, oil, and salt into the bowl. Whisk it together with hand or dough hook attachment.
• Start adding the water slowly, letting it incorporate before adding more.
• Whisk until all the ingredients are incorporated and there are no lumps.
• If you use meat from the broth [recommended], grind it. If you use ground meat, fry it with a bit of oil. If it's not soft after frying, grind it again.
• Peel, finely chop and fry the onion with a bit of oil or butter.
• Mix meat with onion, add salt and pepper.
• Add melted butter, oil, or broth until you will get the sticky mixture that will be easy to stuff pierogi with.
• Divide the dough into the 2 or 3 pieces.
• Thinly roll each piece out onto a floured surface to just under 1/16 - 1/8" thickness.
• Use a round cookie cutter to cut the circles from the dough.
• Put the filling (1/2-3 teaspoons) in the center of each circle. The more filling the better, however, you need to be sure it stays inside pierogi. When the filling will get between the dough when sealing, pierogi may fall apart during the cooking.
• Pull the edges of each circle together to form pierogi. Make sure the seal is continuous and intact. You can't leave any free space, as pierogi will fall apart during the cooking. Pinch tightly.
• Collect the remaining dough scraps and put them to the other 2 dough pieces. Repeat the process until the entire filling and dough are used.
• Pour the water into the big pot. Add 2 pinches of salt. Boil.
• Gently throw pierogi, one by one into the boiling water.
• When they start floating, wait for a minute and take them out with the slotted spoon.
• Pour the melted butter on top.

OUR TRADITIONAL PIEROGIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Lightly grease one large or two small baking dishes.
• Boil the pierogies in batches until mostly cooked but not completely cooked.
• Place one layer in the baking dish with half the onions and dot with 3 tbsps. marg. or butter.
• Repeat layers, sprinkling with salt and pepper.
• Fill the baking dish not quite to the top with the whipping cream and place on a baking sheet as this helps prevent leaking onto the bottom of the oven.
• Cover and bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until pierogies are fork tender.

GRANDMA'S POLISH PEROGIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, sour cream, eggs, egg yolk and oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour until well blended. Cover the bowl with a towel, and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Place potatoes into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, and mash with shredded cheese and cheese sauce while still hot. Season with onion salt, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
• Separate the perogie dough into two balls. Roll out one piece at a time on a lightly floured surface until it is thin enough to work with, but not too thin so that it tears. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter, perogie cutter, or a glass. Brush a little water around the edges of the circles, and spoon some filling into the center. Fold the circles over into half-circles, and press to seal the edges. Place perogies on a cookie sheet, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to freezer storage bags or containers.
• To cook perogies: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop perogies in one at a time. They are done when they float to the top. Do not boil too long, or they will be soggy! Remove with a slotted spoon.

PIEROGIES

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Put flour in a large shallow bowl and make a well in center. Add water, egg, oil, and salt to well and carefully beat together with a fork without incorporating flour. Continue stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually incorporating flour, until a soft dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting with flour as needed to keep dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes (dough will be very soft). Invert a bowl over dough and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• Make filling while dough stands:
• Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Cook potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain potatoes, then transfer to a bowl along with cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and mash with a potato masher or a handheld electric mixer at low speed until smooth.
• When mashed potatoes are cool enough to handle, spoon out a rounded teaspoon and lightly roll into a ball between palms of your hands. Transfer ball to a plate and keep covered with plastic wrap while making 47 more balls in same manner (there will be a little filling left over).
• Make onion topping:
• Cook onion in butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally (stir more frequently toward end of cooking), until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
• Form and cook pierogies:
• Halve dough and roll out 1 half (keep remaining half under inverted bowl) on lightly floured surface (do not overflour surface or dough will slide instead of stretching) with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 15-inch round (1/8 inch thick), then cut out 24 rounds with lightly floured cutter. Holding 1 round in palm of your hand, put 1 potato ball in center of round and close your hand to fold round in half, enclosing filling. Pinch edges together to seal completely. (If edges don't adhere, brush them lightly with water, then seal; do not leave any gaps or pierogi may open during cooking.) Transfer pierogi to a lightly floured kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and cover with another towel. Form more pierogies in same manner.
• Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil. Add half of pierogies, stirring once or twice to keep them from sticking together, and cook 5 minutes from time pierogies float to surface. Transfer as cooked with a slotted spoon to onion topping and toss gently to coat. Cook remaining pierogies in same manner, transferring to onions. Reheat pierogies in onion topping over low heat, gently tossing to coat.