In Poland and across central and eastern Europe pierogi – filled dumplings – are the must have dish for the Christmas Eve Holy Supper . They call up memories of family gatherings, eaten year after year and are often made together under the guidance of a loving Matriarch. There are infinite filling variations with sauerkraut often featuring as a key ingredient. Our favourite pierogis are made with plenty of our Classic Kraut and heaps of mushrooms for their added umami.
The following recipe makes approx 60 pierogis. This may sound like a lot but believe us they don’t stick around for long, they taste even better the following day and if you find any leftover they can be frozen very successfully.
N.B. Whilst not essential a pasta making machine can be hugely beneficial to roll the dough uniformaly thin.
Dough Ingredients:
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220g plain white flour
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2 eggs (or egg substitute)
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Pinch of salt
Filling Ingredients:
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1 x jar Classic Kraut (drained)
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20g dried porcini (or other choice of dried mushroom)
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1 x large onion finely minced
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1 x garlic clove finely minced
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250g button mushrooms
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Salt and pepper
Method:
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Firstly soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for approx 1 hour.
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Meanwhile you can make the dough. Add the flour to a large bowl. Break 2 eggs into a well in the centre of the flour along with a pinch of salt. Beat the eggs and gradually incorporate them into the flour. You can add a splash of water here if the dough requires it. Knead the dough on a floured surface for approximately 5 minutes. Once dough has been well kneaded, wrap the dough so it’s airtight and refrigerate for an hour.
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Whilst the dough rests you can make the rest of the filling. Fry the minced onion in a good amount of olive oil until soften and golden. Add the finely minced garlic and continue to fry for 2 minutes.
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Meanwhile finely chop the kraut. Add it to the pan with the onion and garlic and continue to fry on a low heat for 10 mins stirring often.
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Transfer the contents of the pan to a large bowl.
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Cut the button mushrooms into very thin slices. Add more oil to the pan and heat to Medium/high. Cook the mushroom slices without stirring for 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms are browned at the bottom, then stir and cook until the mushrooms release their water. Cook until it evaporates, stirring from time to time continuing to cook until nicely browned.
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Remove the browned mushrooms to a chopping board. Spread them thin to allow to cool and finely chop. Once chopped add to them to the bowl with the onion and kraut mix.
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Drain the rehydrated mushrooms, finely chop and add to bowl. Season mix to taste. (Reserve the mushroom water for another use. This will make a great umami mushroom stock that can be used in soups, risottos etc)
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Roll the dough out to a thickness of 1-2mm. Use a pasta making machine if you have one for a uniformaly thin dough. Use a cutter to cut out rounds of 7cm diameter. Bring the offcuts of the dough together to make the remaining circles.
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Put a teaspoon of the cooled mushroom and kraut mixture in the centre of each round. Then bring the edges together to form a crescent shape. Crimp or pleat together with your fingers or use a fork to seal. You may find a small amount of water applied to the edge of the dough may help to seal the pierogis.
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Once made it’s a good idea to place the pierogis on a tray lined with a lightly floured tea towel. Cover the tray with a second lightly floured tea towel. this is to stop them from drying out too much.
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When ready to cook, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pierogi, in batches, for about 5 minutes. They are ready when they float to the top. Remove them carefully with a slotted spoon.
Serving suggestions:
To serve it’s nice to add an aromatic topping. Some finally diced fried onions in melted butter with crispy fried breadcrumbs and chives makes a delicious traditional topping. However we can also thoroughly recommend dipping them in plenty of our award winning Smoked Sriracha hot sauce 😋