Polish · 1 hr 10 min · serves 4

Pierogi Ruskie (Potato and Onion Dumplings)

Kept by The Bhook kitchen

Ingredients

• 400 g plain flour
• 1 egg
• 150 ml warm water
• 1 tsp salt
• 400 g potatoes, peeled
• 1 large onion
• 200 g twaróg (or firm cottage cheese, well drained)
• 2 tbsp oil
• black pepper

Method

1. Boil potatoes in salted water until a fork slides in easily, about 20 min. Drain and mash until smooth.
2. Finely chop the onion. Heat oil in a frying pan, cook onion over medium heat until soft and golden, about 8 min.
3. Mix potatoes, cooked onion, and twaróg in a bowl. Season with salt and plenty of pepper. The mix should hold its shape when pressed.
4. Mound flour on a table, make a well. Crack in egg and add salt. Add water bit by bit, mix with your hands to form a smooth, not sticky, dough. Knead for 5 min. It will spring back when poked.
5. Divide dough in two. Roll out one half on a floured surface until about 2 mm thick. Cut out circles using a glass (about 7 cm wide).
6. Put a heaped teaspoon of filling in each circle. Fold to make a half-moon, pinch edges firmly. If they won’t stick, dampen the edge with a little water first.
7. Bring a big pot of lightly salted water to a gentle boil. Drop in pierogi, stir once. Cook in batches until they float and puff up, about 3 min. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Don’t overfill each dumpling or the seal will burst when cooking.