Editor’s Note: In keeping with the tradition of abstinence on Fridays during Lent, priests of the Diocese of Camden have generously offered to share their favorite meatless recipes. Here, Father Edward Namiotka, pastor of Saint Thomas More Parish, Cherry Hill, shares a favorite meal of homemade pierogi.
Although I was born in Philadelphia, I grew up at the Jersey Shore – Wildwood, to be precise. My parents purchased an old hotel (60 rooms, seven apartments) when I was about 2 years old. As soon as I was old enough to contribute to the family business, I began working in the dining room. The restaurant served Polish-American food, and I started working there at age 10 by preparing the bread baskets with dinner rolls and rye bread and by putting the salad dressings on the individual salads.
Eventually, I wound up doing just about everything there was to do in the business: cook, busboy, waiter, cashier, maître d’/host, dishwasher, floor-mopper, etc. Until I was about 17 – when the hotel was demolished and a new motel was built in its place – I learned many interesting Polish recipes from my father, who ran the hotel kitchen. He was known for his homemade stuffed cabbage (gołąbki) and kielbasa (sausage), czarnina (duck soup) and borscht (red beet soup). Many of his recipes originally came from his mother’s kitchen.
However, it was from a Ukrainian lady named Irene, who assisted my father in the kitchen, that I learned two recipes: pierogi and chrusciki.
Many cultures have some type of a pasta or dumpling dish. Eastern Europeans are no exception. I share with you a recipe for one of the most well-known ethnic foods: pierogi. Meatless varieties include potato, cheese, sauerkraut and mushroom with various combinations of these ingredients.
The basic ingredients for the dough and fillings should be enough for a batch of 18 to 20 pierogi.
Pierogi
Ingredients for Dough
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Ingredients for Pierogi
Potato and Cheese
- 3 large russet potatoes (boiled and peeled)
- 8 oz. farmer cheese (other cheeses such as cheddar are often substituted, but are not authentic)
- 1 small chop, sauteed onion
- Salt and pepper to taste (1/2 teaspoon)
Sauerkraut and Mushroom
- 1 lb. shredded sauerkraut (drained and then friend for approximately 10 minutes)
- 4 oz. pkg. mixed wild mushrooms, chopped then sauteed (dried mushrooms, such as porcini, are also sometimes used)
- 1 chopped, sauteed onion
Directions
For the fillings, mix the ingredients for each type in separate bowls.
Some recipes for dough call for additional ingredients like sour cream, milk, oil, baking powder, etc. However, the four basic ingredients I listed here will make a suitable dough for stretching, filling and cooking pierogi.
Mix the ingredients in a mixing bowl until they are no longer tacky and will stretch suitably for easy filling. More flour (or water) may sometimes be necessary to achieve the proper texture. Knead thoroughly on a large pastry board, breadboard or countertop, adding additional flour as needed. Mold into a ball and let the dough sit in a covered bowl for approximately 20 minutes, once the dough is pliable and no longer tacky.
Separate dough into two batches. Roll half the dough until approximately 1/8 inch thick. The dough should not be too thin where it will break open easily, nor too thick so that the pierogi are more dough than filling. Dust with flour, as needed. Cut into circles (using a water glass, round cookie or biscuit cutter, etc.) approximately 3 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter.
Fill the pierogi with a tablespoonful of the mixture and seal the edges, pressing and closing thoroughly to form a half-moon shape. (Warning: If they break open in the water, you will have a mess!) Place in boiling water until they begin to float and the dough is cooked. Optionally, pierogi may be fried (after boiling) in butter or oil. Typically, they are topped with sautéed onions and a dollop of sour cream.
I like to make the pierogi in batches. Repeat (double, triple) as many times as needed!
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