Chef Johns Potato And Cheese Pierogi Food

POTATO AND CHEESE PIEROGI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes; drain.
• Combine flour, eggs and salt. Mix in a little water at a time until dough is somewhat stiff. Roll dough in small sections about 1/4 inch thick. Using a large biscuit cutter or drinking glass, make circle cuts.
• To make filling: Mix together potatoes, cheese, salt, pepper and onion salt. Fill each with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture, fold over and seal edges. To cook, bring a large pot of water to boil, carefully dropping in one at a time; stir once. They are done when they float to the top.

POTATO AND CHEESE PAN-FRIED PIEROGI

Steps:

• For the pierogi dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour, olive oil, eggs, salt and 2 1/2 cups warm water. Start the mixer on slow for a minute, and then switch to high for another couple of minutes until the dough pulls away from the bowl. Then slow the mixer down to medium speed and slowly add the remaining 1 cup warm water. Once the water is absorbed, return the mixer to high and let the dough beat for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the bowl. Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Form into balls, spray with nonstick spray, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in a warmer area for 20 minutes.
• Spray the counter or large cutting board with the nonstick spray and begin to roll the dough with a rolling pin. Roll until a consistent thickness of 1/4-inch. Then spray with nonstick spray. (If it gets too thin, that's ok as you can re-ball and roll out again.) Use about a 3-inch circle cutter and press down hard and give a slight twist to completely separate from the rest of the dough, continue this throughout the entire piece.
• Remove the scraps and in-betweens, save, re-ball and re-roll. Then flip the circle cut-outs; they are ready to be stuffed.
• For the mashed potato filling: Boil the red potatoes, leaving the skin on, in a stock pot with 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Once the potatoes are soft, drain off the water and place in the mixer bowl with the dough hook or paddle attachment. Add the butter right away so it will start to melt. Then add the cream cheese, sour cream, granulated garlic, onion powder and black and white peppers into the bowl and mix on a medium speed. Mix until smooth and free of all lumps. Now add the farmer's cheese and mix on high for a couple minutes until a little fluffy. Season with kosher salt. Loosen with milk if necessary. Let cool.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray (so the delicate dough doesn't stick. Place about 1 teaspoon of the potato and cheese filling in the center of all the cut-outs. (I like to use a bamboo skewer or large toothpick to remove the filling from the spoon to keep your hands clean.) Then pick up the dough with two hands and fold over the filling. Slightly pull out both sides at the base of the fold, then continue to pull, then pinch, and form and seal as you continue around the half moon. Double check for any areas that aren't smooth or completely sealed. Repeat. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• In a large saucepan bring three-quarters of a gallon of water and 1 tablespoon kosher salt to a rapid boil. One by one, drop in the pierogis. Par-boil them until they float, about 5 minutes. Then place them back on the baking sheet to let cool.
• To serve: Cover the bottom of a saute pan with olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, saute the pierogis; they should sizzle once they hit the oil. After a minute or so, flip them, looking for a golden brown color. Plate with the sauteed onions and a side of sour cream for dipping. Drizzle with the butter and sprinkle with the parsley. Enjoy!

CHEATER PIEROGI

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped bacon and onions; cook and stir until the bacon is crisp and the onions are browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove bacon and onions to a small dish, reserving about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat for frying the pierogi.
• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and mash until smooth. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir in 1 egg and farmer's cheese. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
• Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water in a bowl for the egg wash.
• Place 2 to 3 wonton wrappers at a time on a lightly floured work surface. Brush the edges lightly with the egg wash. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each wrapper. Fold each pierogi in half and lightly press the edges together to seal.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pierogi in the boiling water until they float, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain.
• Transfer pierogi to the skillet with reserved bacon drippings in batches and cook over medium heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl, toss with the bacon and onions, and serve garnished with sour cream and chives.

POTATO AND CHEESE PIEROGIES

Steps:

• For the dough: Work the egg, sour cream, butter and salt in a small bowl with a whisk or fork to form a batter. Pour the flour onto a work surface and make a well in the center. Add the sour cream mixture and mix thoroughly with your hands until a dough forms. (The dough is ready to use right away but if you are not forming the pierogies immediately, wrap in plastic and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.)
• For the filling: Stir together the mashed potatoes, cheese and chives in a medium bowl until well combined. Chill the filling so it is easier to work with.
• To form the pierogies: Roll the dough mass out to 1/8-inch thickness and cut 3-inch rounds. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling in each round, and then fold over into half-moons, being careful not to push filling into the seam. Press closed and crimp with a fork if scalloped edges are preferred.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pierogies and wait until they float, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain well.
• Serve with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with chives and a crack of black pepper.

PIEROGIES WITH POTATO AND CHEESE FILLING

Steps:

• Mix flour, water, and egg and salt together. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Cover dough with bowl and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Boil potatoes until soft. Drain and rinse. Add cheese. Let stand a few minutes until cheese melts. Then fold potatoes and cheese together.
• Roll out dough about 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 3-inch squares. Fill each square of dough with one teaspoon of potato and cheese filling. Fold in half and pinch ends together to seal. Drop in hot boiling water and simmer for 8 minutes. Drain and fry in butter a few minutes until heated through. Chopped onions may be added to the butter, if desired. Salt and pepper, to taste.

CHEF JOHN'S CLASSIC POTATO PANCAKES

Steps:

• Place potatoes and onion into a large bowl and pour enough cold water in the bowl to cover by several inches. Let rest until potatoes and onion are completely soaked, 20 to 30 minutes. Pour potato mixture into a colander, rinse, drain, and squeeze repeatedly to remove all moisture.
• Whisk eggs, flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl until smooth.
• Mix potato mixture and egg mixture together in a large bowl with a spatula.
• Heat 1/4-inch oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, drop large spoonfuls of potato batter into hot oil and flatten with a spatula to about 1/2-inch thick. Cook until the edges of pancakes are golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, flip pancakes, and cook until golden brown and crispy on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Repeat cooking process with remaining batter.