Name: Pierogi Ruskie with Potato and Cheese Filling
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 100 g plain flour; 0.25 pcs egg; 45 ml water; 0.125 teaspoon salt; 150 g potatoes; 75 g quark; 0.25 pcs onion; 7.5 g butter; 0.25 teaspoon salt; 0.125 teaspoon black pepper; 0.25 tablespoon salt; 1 l water; 0.5 pcs onion; 10 g butter; 1 tablespoon sour cream; chives

Step by step process

Preparation

1
Peel the potatoes, cut them into smaller pieces, and place them in a pot with cold water. Boil until tender for 15-20 minutes, then drain. Let the potatoes steam off for a few minutes so excess moisture evaporates.
2
In a pan, melt 30 g of butter and sauté the finely chopped onion over medium heat until golden (about 8-10 minutes). Let the onion cool.
3
Mash or rice the cooked potatoes, add farmer's cheese, sautéed onion, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix everything thoroughly and let the filling cool completely.
4
For the dough, combine flour and salt in a bowl, add the egg and lukewarm water. Knead by hand into a smooth, elastic dough (about 8-10 minutes). Cover with a towel and let rest for 20 minutes.
TIP:
After kneading, let the dough rest for 15-30 minutes covered, so the flour can hydrate and the gluten can relax. The dough will then be more elastic and easier to work with.

Cooking

5
Divide the dough into two parts. Roll out the first half into a thin sheet (about 2 mm) and cut out rounds 7-8 cm in diameter. Place a teaspoon of filling onto each round, lightly moisten the edges with water, and seal well with your fingers so the pierogi stay closed during cooking.
6
Bring plenty of water to a boil in a large pot and season with a tablespoon of salt. Drop pierogi in batches into the boiling water, stirring gently so they don't stick to the bottom, and cook for 2-3 minutes after they float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain thoroughly.
7
In a pan, melt 40 g of butter and add onion cut into half-moons. Sauté until golden, 8-10 minutes. Keep the onion and butter warm over low heat.
8
Toss the cooked pierogi gently with some of the melted butter from the pan, plate them, and top with a portion of the sautéed onion.

Serving

9
Serve pierogi hot. Add a spoonful of sour cream to each serving and sprinkle with chopped chives to taste.
10
For a richer flavor, quickly toss the cooked pierogi in the remaining butter in the pan for a light golden crust before serving.

More tips:

The cheese should be as dry as possible. if it's watery, let it drain in a sieve beforehand, otherwise the filling may thin and the seams won't hold well.

Pierogi freeze perfectly: arrange uncooked, filled dumplings on a tray, freeze, then transfer to a bag. Cook straight from frozen, adding 1-2 extra minutes to the boiling time.

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