Recipe: Veselka’s Pierogi

Yesterday’s conversation with Tom Birchard of the Veselka Diner left us with a craving for pierogi. We asked him if he could spare a recipe from his new cookbook, and he happily passed it along.

Potato Pierogi

Makes 65 to 70 pierogi, 8 to 10 servings

We never paid much attention to the whole low-carb craze at Veselka. Not only is the restaurant not susceptible to fads, but eating that way would have meant giving up potato pierogi, and there’s no way we could do that. Our nimble-fingered cooks make as many as 3,000 pierogi every single day. This recipe doesn’t make quite that many, but it does yield a large amount. You could halve the recipe, but instead I recommend making the full amount and freezing half. Frozen pierogi can be dropped directly into boiling water for cooking; there’s no thawing required. You can also refrigerate the dough for a day or two, so you can make the pierogi in a couple batches. Or you could just eat more than the seven pierogi that we consider a single serving at Veselka in one sitting–not exactly punishment.

Ingredients

Pierogi Wrappers

1 large egg yolk

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Topping and Filling

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 cups finely chopped onion

4 cups mashed potatoes (leftovers are fine)

4 ounces farmer’s cheese

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To Assemble

2 large egg whites

All-purpose flour as needed

Sour cream, for serving

1. To make the wrappers, in a bowl, combine the egg yolk, milk, 1/2 cup water, and the vegetable oil. Whip with a fork for 1 minute. Place flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients, about one-third at a time, using your fingers or a fork to incorporate the wet ingredients between additions.

2. When you have added all the wet ingredients, use your hands to fold the dough together. If it seems too sticky, add a little more flour, about one teaspoon at a time to avoid making it too dry.

3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured board and knead for three minutes. Again, add very small amounts of flour if the dough is too sticky to knead. When the dough is smooth and thoroughly amalgamated, form it into a ball, transfer it to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Clean and dry your work surface.

4. While the dough is chilling, prepare the topping and filling. Melt the butter in a large skillet, then add the onions and sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes.

5. In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup of the cooked onions, the mashed potatoes, farmer’s cheese, salt, and pepper. Set aside at room temperature. Reserve the remaining onions for the topping.

6. When you are ready to roll the dough, in a small bowl combine the two egg whites with two tablespoons water and set it to the side of your work surface. You will also need a pastry brush, a rolling pin, a teaspoon (the table kind, not a measuring spoon), a fork, and a round cookie cutter about two and 3/4 inches in diameter (a jar lid or juice glass will also work.) Set aside a floured jelly-roll pan, platter, or cutting board for the finished pierogi as well.

7. Divide the dough into three sections. Place one section on the work surface, well-floured, and roll out to 1/16 inch. Cut circles of dough with the cookie cutter. Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center of each circle, leaving an empty margin. Brush some of the egg white mixture on half of the outer edge of the circle, and then fold the dough over into a half-moon shape. Crimp the edges with your fingers or with a small fork.

8. As you finish, transfer each pierogi to the floured board or platter. Do not stack them. Repeat with remaining dough and stuffing.

9. Fill a large stockpot about three-quarters full with salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Using a slotted spoon or skimmer, lower the pierogi, three or four at a time, into the boiling water and cook for four minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain, and transfer to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining pierogi, allowing the water to return to a full boil each time.

10. When you have cooked all the pierogi, top them with the reserved sautéed onion and as much sour cream as you like.

Variation: For Fried Pierogi, cook them in boiling water as above but for two minutes rather than four, then sauté them in butter until they are golden brown. When making Potato Pierogi for Christmas, leave out the farmer’s cheese in the filling and add a little extra mashed potato.

Photo: Thomas Dunne Books