Potato Pierogi

This is an old family recipe that has been passed through the generations. The family gets together before Christmas Eve to prepare these for the holiday feast. Here it is, in my husband’s cousin’s words. All filling quantities are basically “eyeballed.”

Pierogi

Makes about 125 pierogi.

Dough (make this the night before):
18 cups flour
1 1/2 cup Presto cake flour
12 beaten eggs
1 Tbsp of salt
6 cups of water

Mix it all and if it is too dry take more water. Knead the dough until it is blended then put it into a bowl and plastic on top and put into the fridge. Let it set overnight.

Before you start the pierogi you will have to melt salt pork with onions and make sure you do it over a slow flame; otherwise it won’t render the salt pork juice.

Salt Pork:
1/4 lb. salt pork
2 large onions, diced

Potatoes:
5 lbs of Yukon potatoes
5 tablespoons of melted salt pork
12 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese (grated)

After you skin the potatoes, boil them; when it is done, drain the potatoes. Then mash the potatoes with salt pork, cheddar cheese, and your taste of pepper.

My additions to the directions follow — all Cousin S. gave us was the basic recipe.

Note that the filling will give you at least twice what you need, so reduce accordingly.

After the filling is prepared, roll the dough and cut out circles (we used a 3-inch diameter biscuit cutter). Put a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each circle, dip your fingers into a bowl of warm water, wet the edges of the circle, then fold over and pinch closed. It’s easier to do this if someone shows you how. Make sure it’s COMPLETELY pinched so there are no “leakers.” Crimp on both sides with a fork.

Courtesy of Joanna Szyszkiewicz. All rights reserved.

Place the pinched pierogi on a table to dry. Flip them over to dry the other side. (If you’re in a hurry, you can speed things along with a blow dryer on low/warm.) After they’ve dried, boil in a deep stockpot until they come to the top. You can freeze them with melted butter (wax paper between layers) at this point, or refrigerate.

To serve, fry in plenty of butter until they’re browned on both sides.

Nutrition facts do not include butter used to fry the pierogi.

Serving size = 1 pierogi.

Courtesy of Joanna Szyszkiewicz. All rights reserved.

---

Copyright 2018 Barb Szyszkiewicz