Potato Pierogi

I was looking through the Appetizer Bible and came across a delicious looking recipe. I love potatoes, now I’ve found a recipe with pasta and potatoes; carbs are my friend. I don’t know what it is, but I love anything with potatoes. I can eat potatoes everyday. This recipe is right up my alley. It a Russian dish that look like ravioli, and stuffed with potatoes. Why is it that potatoes, sour cream, and bacon always seem to go together? This is something I’ll surely try, I don’t think it’ll hold up well on a buffet, but it’ll look gorgeous on a plate, as a side dish. ENJOY!

Yield 5-dozen pierogi

4 medium potatoes (about 1 ½ lbs), peeled and quartered
1/3 c milk
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 ½ tsp salt, divided
½ tsp white pepper, divided
2 ¾ c of All-purpose flour
1 c sour cream
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Melted butter, cooked crumbled bacon, or sour cream (optional, but recommended)

1. To prepare filling, place potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with water and add ½ tsp of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until tinder. Drain, and return potatoes to saucepan.
2. Mash potatoes. Stir in milk, butter, onion, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ tsp pepper (mixture will be stiff). Cool.
3. To prepare pierogi dough, combine flour, sour cream, whole egg, egg yolk, oil, and remaining ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper in a medium bowl, mix well.
4. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead dough 3-5 times or until soft and pliable, but not sticky. Let rest, covered, 10 minutes. Divide dough in half. Roll out each half into 13-inch circle on lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin. Cut dough into 2 ½-inch circles with cookie cutter.
5. Place 1 rounded tsp potato filling in center of each dough circle. Moisten edges of circles with water and fold in half; press edges firmly to seal.
6. Bring 4 quarts lightly salted water to a boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Cook pierogi in batches 10 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon to serving dish. Drizzle butter over pierogi, top with bacon and serve with sour cream, if desired.

Note: I wish you could see the picture of this it looks wonderful! When you folding the pastry and pressed sealed, take a fork or your fingers to crimp the edges to make a nice design, this will surely impress your guest!

Saundra D. Jones, CC
Chef/Owner
Divine Cuisine Event Planning & Catering
www.divinecuisineepc.omc
info@divinecuisineepc.com
301-326-7555"All things are possible through Christ who strengthens me"!