Pierogies

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Pierogies

There are as many spelling of this common dish as there are varieties around the world. I have found no claim to the origin of this tasty dumpling, but most agree they have strong roots in Slavic culinary culture. Most would describe them as a dumpling of unleavened dough filled with varying ingredients, including potatoes, cheese, onions, cabbage, sauerkraut, meat and mushroom for savory pierogies, or fresh fruits and jams for sweeter versions.

I just recently became familiar with pierogies when our Canadian friend, Jean Kapchinsky introduced us to them. Hers were prepared in a traditional semi-circular shape. They were stuffed with seasoned mashed potatoes and dry cottage cheese. She simply boiled them and then topped them with sautéed onions and bacon. We were told to top them with a bit of sour cream, which we did after tasting them “plain”. We were hooked.

Pierogies are made by rolling out the dough and cutting them in circles using a biscuit cutter, or the rim of a water glass. You then place some of the filling on the dough and fold them in half. They make little dumpling machines that fold and pinch the pierogies or you can pinch them closed by hand. Most often they are boiled until they float, then they are brushed with butter. They can also be sautéed at this point. Typically they are served with sour cream and as my friend Jean did, topped with sautéed onion and bacon bits.

Pierogies are popular with Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Jewish and Armenian cultures and are strongly imbedded in their cultures and in their special celebrations. They have become popular in North America and can be found in any grocer’s freezer section in a variety of traditional and nontraditional flavors.

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