Name: Pierogi with Potato and Cheese Filling
Prep time: 70 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 250 g plain flour (type 405) (plus extra for rolling out); 100 ml warm water; 1 egg; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 pinch salt; 600 g floury potatoes, peeled and halved; 150 g onions, finely chopped; 2 tbsp butter (for the onions); 100 g Cheddar, grated; 80 g soured cream; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp pepper; 60 g butter; 12 fresh sage leaves; salt and pepper (to taste); soured cream (to serve, optional)

Preparation

Put the potatoes in cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until a fork slides in easily.
Stir the flour, water, egg, olive oil and salt together with a fork, then knead for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth. Shape into a disc, cover and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
While the potatoes cook, sweat the onions in 2 tbsp butter over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown.
Drain the hot potatoes and mash with the Cheddar, onions, soured cream, salt and pepper to a smooth mixture. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.
Roll the dough out about 3 mm thick on a floured surface and cut out circles of about 8 cm with a glass. Let the offcuts rest briefly, roll out again and keep cutting. Cover the circles so they do not dry out.
Put a heaped tablespoon of filling on each circle, fold the dough over and press the edge together firmly with your fingers. This makes about 24 pierogi.
Cook the pierogi in batches in plenty of boiling water until they float to the top (about 3 minutes). Lift out with a slotted spoon and collect in an oiled bowl so they do not stick together.
Shortly before serving, melt the 60 g butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add the sage leaves and let them brown for 2 to 3 minutes, until the butter smells nutty. Fry the pierogi in it for about 2 minutes per side until golden brown and serve with the sage butter, salt, pepper and soured cream.

Drink with it

Vodka · excellent match
Polish vodka made from rye or potato, ice cold and neat from small glasses
The cold and clean bite of the vodka cut through butter, cheese and soured cream and clear the mouth after each soft mouthful; in Poland the usual companion to dumplings.
What Is Vodka? Raw Materials, Flavor, and Cocktails
Pale lager · excellent match
Polish lager or pilsner, well chilled
Gentle bitterness and carbonation lift the butterfat, and the malt note suits the dough and browned butter without covering the mild potato filling.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?
White wine · good match
Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) or Grüner Veltliner, dry
Fresh acidity stands up to butter and Cheddar, and the fine spice of the Veltliner picks up the sage.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing

Preparation

Put the potatoes in cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until a fork slides in easily.
Stir the flour, water, egg, olive oil and salt together with a fork, then knead for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth. Shape into a disc, cover and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
While the potatoes cook, sweat the onions in 2 tbsp butter over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown.
Drain the hot potatoes and mash with the Cheddar, onions, soured cream, salt and pepper to a smooth mixture. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.
Roll the dough out about 3 mm thick on a floured surface and cut out circles of about 8 cm with a glass. Let the offcuts rest briefly, roll out again and keep cutting. Cover the circles so they do not dry out.
Put a heaped tablespoon of filling on each circle, fold the dough over and press the edge together firmly with your fingers. This makes about 24 pierogi.
Cook the pierogi in batches in plenty of boiling water until they float to the top (about 3 minutes). Lift out with a slotted spoon and collect in an oiled bowl so they do not stick together.
Shortly before serving, melt the 60 g butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add the sage leaves and let them brown for 2 to 3 minutes, until the butter smells nutty. Fry the pierogi in it for about 2 minutes per side until golden brown and serve with the sage butter, salt, pepper and soured cream.

Drink with it

Vodka · excellent match
Polish vodka made from rye or potato, ice cold and neat from small glasses
The cold and clean bite of the vodka cut through butter, cheese and soured cream and clear the mouth after each soft mouthful; in Poland the usual companion to dumplings.
What Is Vodka? Raw Materials, Flavor, and Cocktails
Pale lager · excellent match
Polish lager or pilsner, well chilled
Gentle bitterness and carbonation lift the butterfat, and the malt note suits the dough and browned butter without covering the mild potato filling.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?
White wine · good match
Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) or Grüner Veltliner, dry
Fresh acidity stands up to butter and Cheddar, and the fine spice of the Veltliner picks up the sage.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing

Pierogi with Potato and Cheese Filling

Preparation

Drink with it

Polish vodka made from rye or potato, ice cold and neat from small glasses

Polish lager or pilsner, well chilled

Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) or Grüner Veltliner, dry

This pairs well too.

American Potato Salad with Egg and Pickles

Potato Pancakes with Soured Cream (Reibekuchen / Draniki)

Chebureki (Fried Minced-Meat Turnovers)

Grünkohl (kale stew) with Kasseler (smoked pork), Bacon and Mettwurst

Pierogi with Potato and Cheese Filling

Preparation

Drink with it

Polish vodka made from rye or potato, ice cold and neat from small glasses

Polish lager or pilsner, well chilled

Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) or Grüner Veltliner, dry

This pairs well too.

American Potato Salad with Egg and Pickles

Potato Pancakes with Soured Cream (Reibekuchen / Draniki)

Chebureki (Fried Minced-Meat Turnovers)

Grünkohl (kale stew) with Kasseler (smoked pork), Bacon and Mettwurst