Foodie Chickie

I love most potato dishes and Pierogies are no different. But it seemed a lot of work to make the dough and the filling. So I was thrilled to find a recipe that gave me a shortcut and why didn't I think of this before?! Wonton dough can be used as the dough. I use Wonton dough when I make my grandmother's chicken dumplings. Why not for Pierogies also? However it is not as soft as if you would make the dough from scratch but it doesn't make the recipe any less delicious. Actually it is kind of nice there is a bite to it.



Quick Potato Pierogi
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1½ pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 tablespoons butter
3 onions, finely chopped (it sounds like a lot but I used three and it wasn’t overpowering)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 to 2 packages of round gyoza (pot sticker) wrappers (I have found these in the produce section of my grocery store near the egg roll wraps – if you can’t find round wrappers, you can buy square and cut them into circles with a cookie or biscuit cutter)
3 to 5 green onions, thinly sliced or ¼ cup chopped chives or 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or additional fried onions (see note), to serve
Sour cream, melted butter or vinegar to serve

Cook the potatoes in a large pot of salted boiling water until just tender. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet and cook the onions until they soften then lightly brown, darkly browned in spots.

Mash the potatoes in a bowl then mix in the onions and their cooking butter. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Working one at a time, brush the edge of the round wrapper with water (I just used my finger dipped in a bowl of water) and place a spoonful of filling in the center. Fold dumpling in half, pressing the edges together to thoroughly seal. Place each dumpling on a parchment or waxed paper lined baking sheet and repeat until all filling has been used.

Chill in the refrigerator if you are making them ahead of time. If you wish to freeze the dumplings for later use, make sure they are not touching, then freeze them until solid and later gather them into a freezer bag. This ensures that you will avoid having one mega-pierogi clump when you are ready to cook them.

To cook the pierogi: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the dumplings one at a time, until the surface of the pan is covered with dumplings. Do not overcrowd; you’ll have to work in batches. When they are done, about 2-3 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon.

Transfer to bowls and serve sprinkled with green onions, parsley or chives, drizzled with a little melted butter or vinegar or topped with a dab of sour cream.

Alternatively, you can pan-brown the pierogi. Heat a tiny bit of oil (maybe a tablespoon or two is all) in a nonstick skillet and add dumplings in a single layer. When they are golden and in spots, browned, turn and brown other side. Add enough water to reach about 1/4-inch in depth, being careful not to add too much water or pierogi will get mushy. Cover and cook 3-4 minutes; remove lid and check for doneness. When pierogi are tender but not mushy to the tooth, and the liquid is evaporated, they are ready.

Note: To make fried onions, sauté 2 to 3 thinly sliced onions, in butter in a heavy frying pan until they are limp and lightly browned; add several tablespoons water and cook until the onions are soft and silky, the liquid mostly evaporated. Season with salt and pepper.