Pierogies is a traditional Georgian recipe for a classic flour, egg and potato dough dumpling filled with a range of fillings that's boiled to cook before serving. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Georgian version of: Pierogies.
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Ingredients:
For the Pierogies:
560g plain flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp cold, mashed, potatoes
240ml warm water (about)
For the Potato Filling:
450g cooked potatoes, cooled
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
90g cottage cheese, drained
1 small onion, chopped
6 slices of bacon
For the Cabbage Filling:
1 medium cabbage
120g dry cottage cheese
1 medium onion, chopped
6 slices of bacon
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
For the Meat Filling:
1 medium onion, chopped
300g left-over meat
4 slices of bacon, chopped
2 slices of bread soaked in milk
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste dill and parsley, chopped, to taste
Method:
Begin with the dough. sift together the flour into a large bowl. Add the egg and mashed potato and mix thoroughly then mix in just enough of the warm water to bring the mixture together as a slightly sticky dough. Knead lightly on a floured work surface then cover in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and refrigerate until needed.
For the potato filling: Fry the bacon until it renders its fat and becomes crisp then remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Add the onions to the bacon fat remaining in the pan and fry until soft (about 8 minutes). Drain the onions then mash the potatoes with the cottage cheese before adding the remaining ingredients. The resultant mixture should be stiff. Cover the bowl and set aside.
For the cabbage filling. Cut the cabbage in pieces and cook in lightly-salted boiling water until tender (about 15 minutes). Drain thoroughly then remove the core and set aside. Fry the bacon until it renders its fat then add the onion and fry until soft (abut 6 minutes) then combine with the cabbage and all the remaining ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until smooth then season to taste before setting aside.
For the meat filling: Fry the bacon and onion together for about 8 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Now combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Cover the bowl an set aside.
To make the pierogies: Remove the clingfilm from the dough then roll out on a floured work surface until you have a thickness of about 3mm. Cut 5 to 7.5cm diameter circles from the dough (the dough will be a little sticky, this is normal) then place about 1 tsp of your chosen filling on one side of the circle. Fold the other half of the circle over the top to form a half-moon shape then seal the edges by pinching together very carefully. Repeat the process until all the dough and filling have been used-up (re-roll the scraps to make more).
Bring a large pan (at least 8l) of lightly-salted water to a boil. Drop about 6 of the pirohy into the water, one at a time. Keep the water boiling and stir gently with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. When the pirohy rise to the surface keep cooking for 1 minute more then remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander to drain. Add the next six pierogies and whilst they are cooking add a generous amount of butter to a pan, transfer the cooked pirohy in this and toss gently to coat in the butter. Remove and place in a roasting tin. When all the pirohy have been cooked and coated in butter transfer the roasting tin to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, to heat through.
Pierogies prepared in this way can be stored in the refrigerator over night to be cooked the following day.
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