One of Poland's most popular foods, probably because of its versatility,
each "little pie" is hearty and pleasantly chewy. They're delicious
stuffed with almost anything and can be served as a side dish, a main dish, or
even as dessert. Here's a basic pierogi dough that I used in Potato vegetarian
Pierogi and a Potato bacon Pierogi. My mother in law and I were dining at a
restaurant in Province, Rhode Island called Local 121. They served their
Pierogi with a side of jam and crispy bacon. This gave me the idea to come home
and attempt them myself. If you haven’t been to Local 121, I highly recommend
it. Everything is fresh and local. There’s a casual bar side and another side
that is more white tablecloth. Service was fantastic. You can make all 16 of these at once or freeze some of the non-fried ones for later.
Ingredients:
·
2 cups
all-purpose flour
·
1/4 teaspoon
salt
·
1/4 cup
reduced-fat or low-fat sour cream
·
1/4 cup
water
·
1 tablespoon
vegetable oil
·
1 large egg
·
Cooking
spray
Preparation:
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring
cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Combine sour
cream, water, oil, and egg, stirring with a whisk. Add sour cream mixture to
flour mixture; stir until combined. Turn dough out onto a floured surface.
Knead until smooth and elastic (about 7 minutes). Place dough in a bowl coated
with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rest 15 minutes.
Potato
& Bacon Pierogi:
Ingredients:
·
1 pound
peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
·
1 tablespoon
minced fresh chives or green onions
·
2
tablespoons reduced-fat or low-fat sour cream
·
2
tablespoons egg substitute
·
1 tablespoon
butter
·
1 teaspoon
white wine vinegar
· 2 quarts
water to boil the Pierogi
1 tablespoon
butter, divided
·
1/8 teaspoon
salt
·
1/3 cup
reduced-fat sour or low-fat cream
Optional: 3 slices of bacon, cooked crispy and minced
Preparation:
Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover
with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until
tender; drain. Place potatoes in a large bowl; mash with a potato masher or
fork until smooth. Add chives and next 5 ingredients (chives through 3/4
teaspoon salt); blend well with potato masher. If you want to split this potato
concoction into half to add a vegetarian Pierogi option and toss the bacon in
the other half to give your guests a meat option that is what I did.
Divide Pierogi Dough into 16 equal
portions, shaping each into a ball. Working with one portion at a time (cover
remaining dough to prevent drying), roll each ball into a 3 1/2-inch circle on
a lightly floured surface. I did multiple sizes to see which ones the family
enjoyed the best. The 3 ½ inch or just a tad larger is the ideal size.
Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon of the
potato mixture onto half of each dough circle. Bring opposite sides of dough
circle together; pinch to seal, beginning with center and pinching down both
sides to form a half-moon shape. Repeat with the remaining dough circles and
potato mixture.
Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a
large saucepan. Add half of pierogi; cook 7 minutes or until done (pierogi will
rise to the surface). Remove pierogi with a slotted spoon; drain in a colander
(pierogi will stick to a paper towel). Place pierogi in a single layer on a
baking sheet or platter. Repeat procedure with remaining pierogi.
Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons butter in a large
nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 8 pierogi; cook 2 minutes on each
side or until golden brown. Remove pierogi; keep warm. Repeat procedure with
remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons butter and 8 pierogi. Sprinkle cooked pierogi with
1/8 teaspoon salt. Serve with 1/3 cup sour cream and a side of your favorite
jam.
***If you don't want to make all of these, you can boil them slightly, about half the normal time and then freeze them. Take them out when ready to fry and let them get to room temperature. Take the same steps to cook them in butter. They tastes just as good!
No comments:
Post a Comment