Mushroom Pierogi And Nalesniki Filling Food

MUSHROOM PIEROGI

Steps:

• Make the dough by mixing all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Knead the dough until it comes together as a sift, silky dough, about 5 minutes. Cover in plastic wrap and let the dough sit on the counter for an hour or so. You can refrigerate it up to 2 days.
• To make the filling, chop the fresh and dried mushrooms and add them to a large saute pan with the minced onions. Turn the heat to medium-high and saute until the mushrooms give up their water, about 2 to 5 minutes depending on the mushroom. Salt them well. When the water from the mushrooms has almost evaporated, add the butter and saute until everything begins to brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for a few minutes.
• Add the contents of the pan to a food processor, along with the dill or parsley. Buzz to make a fine crumble, but not a paste. You want some texture in the filling. Put the contents of the food processor in a bowl and mix well with breadcrumbs. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
• To make the pierogi, roll the dough out by hand -- it's too soft for a pasta roller.
• And you don't want it too thin, either. About 1/8 inch is good. The reason is you stretch the dough when you make the pierogi.
• I use pastry cutters to make my pierogi, but you can use a glass or you can cut out squares. How wide is up to you. I used a 3-inch round, which makes smallish pierogi that are a bit more like potstickers in size. Everyone's pierogi are different shapes and sizes, so go for whatever floats your boat.
• Take the round of dough and stretch it a little evenly all around, like you would with pizza dough. It doesn't have to be too stretched out, but a little helps. Hold the dough in the palm of your "off" hand. Put a teaspoon, tablespoon or whatever seems to fit in the center of the dough -- you can fill pierogi more than you can with Italian pasta dough because it's so flexible.
• Fold the dough over the filling. I start at the center and work towards an edge, stretching and pinching the dough at the rim of the dumpling as I go. Finish by sealing the other edge. Set the dumpling on your well-floured surface and seal it tight by crimping with the tines of a fork. Set your finished pierogi on a baking sheet that you've dusted with either semolina flour or cornmeal.
• Pierogi are pretty moist, so they don't do too well stored uncooked, unless you freeze them right away. To freeze, put the baking sheet in the freezer (or a plate if the whole sheet won't fit), then, when they are frozen, you can put them in a freezer bag. Normally I cook pierogi shortly after making them.
• You can either simply boil your pierogi until they float -- I give them another minute once they float, too -- or you can double cook them, which is what I prefer. To do this, boil until they float, then fry in lots of butter. Serve with caramelized onions, sour cream and dill.

MUSHROOM PIEROGI

Steps:

• Remove stems from shiitake mushrooms, and trim stems of white and cremini mushrooms. Place mushrooms in a food processor, and pulse about eight times, until finely chopped. Set aside.
• In a medium saute pan, melt butter and oil over low heat; add shallots. Cook, covered, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Raise heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is nearly dry, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add cream, thyme, and parsley, and cook about 1 minute. Transfer to a medium bowl.
• To form dumplings, place a heaping teaspoon of the filling toward the front of a circle of pierogi dough. Moisten the edges of the dough with water, and fold in half around filling to form a semicircle, firmly pinching the edges closed. Set aside on a lightly floured baking sheet. Continue to fill and form pierogi, keeping them covered with plastic wrap, until all the dough has been used.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and add half the pierogi. Boil gently until they float to the surface, about 2 minutes, and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, and repeat with remaining pierogi. Serve immediately.

TAYLOR'S PIROSHKI

Steps:

• In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until evenly browned; drain. Stir in the onion and cook with the beef until translucent. Sprinkle in salt, pepper and dill weed to taste. Allow to cool before using.
• Dissolve the yeast in the 1/4 cup of warm water and place in a warm location until frothy, about 10 to 15 minutes. In a medium saucepan over low heat, warm the milk and gently whisk in the eggs, oil, sugar and salt. Remove from heat.
• Place half the flour in a large mixing bowl and gradually stir in the milk mixture. Then add the yeast solution alternately with the remaining flour, stirring after each addition. Mix well. Knead until the dough forms a ball and does not stick to the bowl. (Note: Start with the 4 cups of flour. You may need to add more, a little at a time, as you knead the dough). Cover the bowl with a clean cloth. Set in a warm location and allow to rise until doubled in volume.
• Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Pinch off pieces approximately the size of golf balls. Roll the pieces into disks about 3 1/2 to 4 inches in diameter.
• Fill center of each disk with a heaping tablespoon of the cooled meat mixture. Fold disks over the mixture and firmly pinch edges to seal. Arrange on a flat surface and allow to sit approximately 10 minutes.
• In an large, heavy skillet or deep fryer, heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Deep fry the piroshki in batches until golden brown on one side; gently turn and fry the other side. Remove and let drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

VARENIKI (RUSSIAN PIEROGI) WITH POTATOES AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• 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 25 minutes. Drain potatoes and mash; season with salt and pepper.
• Combine flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl while potatoes are cooking. Stir sour cream and baking soda together in a second bowl. Add water to flour mixture and blend in, followed by sour cream mixture. Knead into a smooth dough, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook onions until browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add to mashed potatoes.
• Divide dough into 4 portions and roll each portion into a 1 1/2-inch thick rope. Cut ropes into small 1/2-inch pieces. Press each dough piece into a small flat circle and place 1 teaspoon of potato filling in the center. Fold dough over into a half-moon shape and seal edges.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Add the vareniki in batches and cook until they float to the surface, about 3 minutes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a colander to drain.