Perogies Three Ways
Photo by Ian McCausland
Dough
3 c flour
1 c warm water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
Dumpling dough has two components: dry ingredients (flour and salt) and wet ingredients (water and oil/eggs). Each of the recipes has slightly different ingredients, but the technique is the same for all of them:
1. Combine the dry and the wet ingredients and mix them until a shaggy dough forms.
2. Knead the dough by hand on a well-floured surface or in an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment until it is smooth and elastic dough (4-6 minutes). You can’t really knead your dough too much. The more egg in your dough, the longer you will have to knead to make the dough workable. Dough too sticky? Add a little more flour, a tablespoon at a time. Dough too dry and not coming together? Add a little water, a tablespoon at a time.
3. Once your dough is smooth and elastic, wrap it in plastic wrap or cover it loosely with plastic wrap in a very lightly oiled bowl. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes. The longer you let your dough rest, the easier it will be to work with.
Make your dough (see the “Making Dumpling Dough” sidebar). Roll prepared dough out very thin using a rolling pin or pasta maker. Cut dough into circles of your desired diameter. Add 1 tbsp of your desired filling, fold the dough over the filling into half-moons and pinch the edges tightly together so it is completely sealed. Boil in salted water for 3 minutes and remove using a mesh strainer. Serve hot with melted butter or panfry for crispy perogies.
NOTE: The dough recipe makes 3 dozen large perogies. Each filling recipe makes enough for 1 dozen perogies.
Cheddar Cheese and Potato
5 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 onion finely diced
2 c Bothwell Old Cheddar, shredded
Butter for cooking and serving
Place potatoes in a pot of cold water. Heat to boiling, add salt, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 10–15 minutes until potatoes are fork tender. While your potatoes are boiling,
heat a frying pan over medium heat. Melt 1 tbsp butter and soften onion for 5 minutes (don’t let them brown). When potatoes are done, drain the water and mash them. Mix in cheese and onions until the cheese is melted and distributed throughout. Refrigerate filling to cool it enough to work with (it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days).
Sweet Potato, Caramelized Onion, and Bacon
3 large sweet potatoes
5 bacon rashers (Marcelo’s) chopped
2 large yellow onions
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp brown sugar
1.5 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tsp fresh)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 325°F. Pierce the sweet potato skin all over with a fork. Bake for approximately 1 hour until fork tender. Let cool before slicing them in half lengthwise and carving out the orange flesh. Discard skins and mash the flesh with a fork.
While sweet potatoes are baking, trim the top and bottom off the onion, slice it lengthwise and peel the skin off. Slice each half from top to bottom into ¼-inch thick pieces. Heat butter and olive oil in a frying pan on medium-low. Add onions and turn the pan to low. Slowly caramelize onions, stirring frequently, for 35–40 minutes (while the potatoes are baking). Onions should be dark brown but not burnt. Add brown sugar and continue to cook for 5-10 more minutes.
Chop bacon and fry until crispy and pat dry with paper towel. Combine mashed sweet potato, cooked bacon, caramelized onions, and dried thyme. Season to taste.
Mushroom and Gruyère
2 c fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced
½ c shitake mushroom, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper
1 c Gruyere, finely shredded
Melt butter in a frying pan on medium-low. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook slowly until nicely browned but still retaining moisture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool slightly, then fold in shredded Gruyère.
PAIR WITH
Girlan 2022 Chardonnay Alto Adige, Italy
Lange Family Winery 2020 Family Grown Pinot Noir California, USA
