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The Dumpling 100 · make it at home

Pierogi ruskie (potato and farmer's cheese)

1 hr 30 min · About 40, 4 to 6 people

Poland's most loved pierogi: a soft sour cream dough around potato, tangy farmer's cheese and slow-fried onion, boiled and then crisped in butter.

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The real one

You need

• For the dough: 400 g (3 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 120 g (1/2 cup) sour cream
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) warm water
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp salt
• For the filling: 500 g (1 lb) floury potatoes (russet or Maris Piper), peeled
• 250 g (1 cup) twaróg or farmer's cheese (dry cottage cheese)
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• To serve: 3 tbsp butter, 1 onion sliced and fried golden, sour cream, chopped chives

How to make it

1. Make the dough (10 min, plus 30 min rest): Mix flour and salt, add the egg, sour cream, water and melted butter and knead 5 to 6 minutes until soft and smooth. Cover and rest.
2. Cook the potatoes (20 min): Boil in salted water until very tender, drain well and mash while hot.
3. Fry the onions (15 min): Cook the onions slowly in the butter over medium-low until soft and golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Make the filling (5 min): Mix the mash, crumbled cheese, half the onions, salt and plenty of pepper. Taste; it should be well seasoned. Cool.
5. Roll and cut (15 min): Roll half the dough to 2 mm thick and cut 8 cm (3 in) circles.
6. Fill and seal (25 min): Put a heaping tablespoon of filling in each, fold into a half-moon and pinch the edge firmly shut, crimping if you like.
7. Boil (5 min): Boil in salted water in batches; once they float, cook 2 minutes more. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
8. Finish: Serve as they are with the rest of the onions and sour cream, or fry in butter until golden on both sides, then top with fried onion and chives.

Tips

• Sweet pierogi: fill with blueberries or pitted cherries tossed with a spoon of sugar, and serve with sweetened sour cream.
• Boiled pierogi freeze well; fry from frozen in butter.

Chef Amazing's own home version of pierogi, in our words; not any restaurant's recipe.