Polish Wild Mushroom Pierogies Food

PIEROGI WITH SAUERKRAUT AND DRIED MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup water and dried mushrooms in a saucepan over low heat, bring to a simmer, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain mushrooms, reserving cooking water. Chop mushrooms.
• Heat olive oil in a separate saucepan over medium heat and cook onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauerkraut and mix well; season with salt and pepper. Pour in the cooking water, cover, and simmer until water has evaporated and sauerkraut is soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Place flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Crack egg into the well and add enough warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a dough forms, stirring constantly with your hands. Knead well, continuing to add more water as needed. Knead until dough is soft and smooth.
• Dust a work surface with flour. Cut off 1/4 of the dough and roll out to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut out circles using a glass or a round pastry cutter.
• Fill each dough circle with 1 teaspoon of sauerkraut filling. Fold dough over into a half-moon shape and seal edges. Cover with a clean dish towel so pierogi won't dry out and repeat with remaining dough and filling.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to a gentle boil. Add the pierogi in batches and cook until they float to the surface, 5 to 7 minutes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes once they float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and drizzle with melted butter.

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.

WILD MUSHROOM PIEROGIES

Steps:

• Make filling:
• Pour boiling water over porcini in a small bowl and soak until softened,10 to 20 minutes. Lift porcini out of water, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl, and rinse well to remove any grit. Pour soaking liquid through a paper-towel-lined sieve into a bowl and reserve.
• Finely chop onion and garlic in a food processor, then add cremini and porcini and pulse until very finely chopped.
• Heat butter in a skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook mushroom mixture, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are dry and 1 shade darker, about 8 minutes. Add reserved soaking liquid and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick, dry, and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes (there will be about 1 cup filling). Stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Cool completely.
• Roll out dough and fill pierogies:
• Halve dough and roll out 1 piece on a lightly floured surface into a 15-inch round, keeping remaining dough wrapped. Cut out rounds (about 24) with floured cutter. Put 1 teaspoon filling in center of each round. Working with 1 round at a time, moisten edges with water and fold in half to form a half-moon, pinching edges together to seal. Transfer pierogies as assembled to a flour-dusted kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining rounds, then make more pierogies with remaining dough and filling.
• Cook onions and pierogies:
• Cook onions in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
• Cook pierogies in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to skillet with onions. Toss gently to coat and serve immediately.

KAPUSTA - POLISH SAUERKRAUT WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Rinse the sauerkraut under the running water. Squeeze excess water and chop it.
• Place sauerkraut in a pot with water. Water should come to a level where contents are submerged.
• Add bay leaves and allspice.
• Cook on low heat for about 40-60 minutes until the sauerkraut is soft.
• If water evaporates, you may need to add hot boiling water a few times during the process.
• In the meantime, place dried mushrooms in a pot with water. Let them stand for half an hour.
• Cook the mushrooms in the same water they were soaking in for another half an hour, adding a little bit of salt.
• In a frying pan, heat up the olive oil. Add onions and cook for approximately 5 minutes until they are golden brown.
• When the mushrooms are cooked, remove them with the slotted spoon and add to the sauerkraut.
• Using a cheesecloth (or thin strainer) and ladle, pour one ladle of the mushroom water at the time over the sauerkraut (you may want to add 1-3 ladles to the sauerkraut depending on how much liquid has evaporated)
• Cook for about 10 more minutes to reduce some of the liquid (the dish should be wet but not soaking in water).
• Add onions and sugar to the pot and stir to combine.
• Discard bay leaves.
• Add salt and pepper for taste.
• Optionally you can add a tablespoon or 2 of butter and mix it well.
• Garnish with parsley and serve as a side dish.

POLISH WILD MUSHROOM PIEROGIES

Steps:

• For the Pierogi/Varenko Dough:.
• Stir together flours in a bowl. Make a well in flour and add eggs,.
• salt, and water, then stir together with a fork without touching.
• flour. Continue stirring, gradually incorporating flour into well.
• until a soft dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work.
• surface and knead, adding only as much additional flour as needed to.
• keep dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• (Dough will be soft.) Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room.
• temperature at least 30 minutes.
• Note: Bring to room temperature before using if storing in fridge overnight.
• For filling: Pour boiling water over porcini in a small bowl and soak.
• until softened,10 to 20 minutes. Lift porcini out of water, squeezing.
• excess liquid back into bowl, and rinse well to remove any grit. Pour.
• soaking liquid through a paper-towel- lined sieve into a bowl and.
• reserve.
• Finely chop onion and garlic in a food processor, then add cremini and.
• porcini and pulse until very finely chopped. Heat butter in a skillet.
• over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook mushroom mixture,.
• stirring frequently, until mushrooms are dry and 1 shade darker, about.
• 8 minutes. Add reserved soaking liquid and simmer, stirring.
• frequently, until mixture is thick, dry, and beginning to brown, about.
• 15 minutes (there will be about 1 cup filling). Stir in parsley and.
• salt and pepper to taste. Cool completely.
• Roll out dough and fill pierogies: Halve dough and roll out 1 piece on.
• a lightly floured surface into a 15-inch round, keeping remaining.
• dough wrapped. Cut out rounds (about 24) with floured cookie cutter. Put 1.
• teaspoon filling in center of each round. Working with 1 round at a.
• time, moisten edges with water and fold in half to form a half-moon,.
• pinching edges together to seal. Transfer pierogies as assembled to a.
• flour-dusted kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining rounds, then make.
• more pierogies with remaining dough and filling.
• If freezing, place on flat sheet & freeze then store in airtight Ziploc bags.
• Cook onions and pierogies: Cook onions in butter in a large heavy.
• skillet over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until golden.
• brown, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
• Cook pierogies in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until.
• tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to skillet.
• with onions. Toss gently to coat and serve immediately.

POLISH PIEROGIES WITH CABBAGE AND MUSHROOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine butter with 1/3 of the water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add remaining water.
• Sift flour into a bowl, add butter-water mixture, and mix. Knead mixture into a smooth dough for 5 minutes, put on a plate, and cover with an inverted bowl. Rest for 30 minutes.
• Place quartered cabbage in a pot, cover with water, and boil until cabbage is soft, about 15 minutes. Drain cabbage and wrap in a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
• Cut dry cabbage into thin slices and put in a bowl. Add onion and season with caraway, salt, and pepper. Cook in a non-stick pan until softened, about 10 minutes. Add fresh mushrooms and onions and cook for another 10 minutes. Mix cream and potato starch in a cup; add to mushrooms. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper.
• Roll about 1/4 of the dough out on a floured surface about 1/16-inch thick, and cut rounds about 3 1/2-inches across using a cookie cutter or a glass. Add leftover dough to the next 1/4 dough and repeat process.
• Place about 1 teaspoon of cabbage filling in the center of each dough round, fold over into a half-moon shape, and press and seal the edges with a fork. Set the filled pierogies aside under a towel to prevent drying.
• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, and carefully drop about 15 pierogies at a time into the boiling water. Boil in simmering water until they float to the top, about 5 to 10 minutes. Cook remaining pierogies the same way in batches.