I had never eaten Perogies nor even heard the word Perogie until I met my husband Joe. He is Polish. His Grandparents came over from the old country. Therefore, his Grandma could not speak English very well he said the only thing he could really understand was when she yelled at him Yosef. Then he knew he was in trouble.
What Are Perogies?
I have never really tried to make perogies. I have always bought them ready-made. When we lived in Cleveland there was a Catholic Polish Church that had a festival each year and we could buy enough perogies and freeze them for later in the year. Since we have moved to Southern Ohio we have not found anywhere to buy them other than the frozen ones in the grocery store. They are not the same.
A Recipe To Share
However, I have a recipe and I am sharing it here. It is said that making perogies from scratch is quite the undertaking. I don’t think it can be any harder than making cabbage rolls. Now that is a job! And I only do that about once a year.
If you are not familiar with perogies, they are kind of like ravioli, stuffed with potato, cheese, sausage, cabbage or bacon. They are then boiled and then pan-fried and served with sour cream, shredded cheese and maybe some bacon bits. As a result of the effort, you are rewarded with a very delightful meal.
Chardonnay Wine and Perogies:
A Buttery Chardonnay (over oaking a Chardonnay makes it buttery) is a good choice and goes well with pan-fried Perogies. Tropical and vanilla sweetness in a Chardonnay will go well with Caramelized onions served over the Perogies. A Buttery Chardonnay is a full-bodied wine that can handle the rich texture of this dish. Therefore I chose to serve The Oak The Reserve Chardonnay from Santa Barbara County.
Riesling and Perogies:
Riesling is another great choice to serve with Perogies. The sweetness of this wine pairs greatly with the sweetness of the caramelized onions. The unforgettably delicious taste of a Riesling is going to highlight all the flavors of the accompaniments of this dish, such as the cheese, bacon, potato and don’t forget the sour cream richness.
Red Wine and Perogies Anyone?
Or, if you prefer red wine, try this one. Tyler’s Curveball it pairs well with just about any food. The wine will go great with this dish especially if it includes bacon. The fruitiness of the wine is a nice compliment to the saltiness of the bacon. Giving you the popular sweet and salty combination. This wine will also highlight the flavors of the potatoes which could be covered up by the stronger fattier flavors of the cheese and sour cream.
Well enough talk about Perogies let’s get to the recipe. My mouth is starting to water just thinking about how good these wine and food combinations are going to be. I think I will try them all.
Perogies Ingredients
DOUGH
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cake flour
- Kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup water
FILLING
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
PIEROGIS
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Sour cream, for serving
- 3 tablespoons chopped chives
How to Make It
Step 1
In a large bowl, stir together the flours and 1 teaspoon salt. Beat in the eggs and water with the handle of a wooden spoon, then continue to knead the dough with your hands until a smooth and elastic dough has formed, about 10 minutes. Next, wrap the dough in plastic wrap, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Step 2
Place the potatoes in a medium heavy pot, cover with salted water and bring to a boil. Boil until very tender, about 20 minutes. Strain and reserve the potatoes.
Step 3
While the potatoes cook, in a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Once it is hot stir in the onion and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, then cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the potatoes to the skillet with the onion and mash together until smooth. Season the filling with salt to taste. Let cool to warm.
Now It Is Time To Work On The Dough
Step 4
Halve the dough, keeping one half wrapped, then roll out the other half of the dough on a floured work surface to a 14-inch round. Using a 2-to 3-inch round cutter, cut out rounds from the dough. Place a scant tablespoon of the filling on one half of each round of dough, then moisten the edges of the rounds with water and fold into half-moons. Repeat with the remaining dough and the remaining filling.
Step 5
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pierogi in batches until tender, about 12 minutes per batch. Carefully move the pierogi from the boiling water to an oiled baking sheet with a slotted spoon.
Step 6
In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat until hot, then brown the pierogi in batches, adding additional butter as needed. Serve the pierogi with sour cream and chives.
Now you can enjoy some very good Polish food and some very good wine.
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