The Pierogi are the traditional stuffed “dumplings” of Poland.
We first tried them during our trip to Krakow in 2017, where the Pierogi Festival is held in August, and they are really exceptional!
They can be either sweet or savory.
The savory varieties are traditionally served with smoked bacon, lard, and/or sautéed onion; the fillings have many variations: pierogi z kapustą i grzybami (with sauerkraut and mushrooms), pierogi ruskie (with potatoes and fresh twaróg cheese, similar to our ricotta) and pierogi z serem (with bryndza cheese) or with meat (pierogi z miesem).
The sweet varieties are filled with fruit and accompanied by custard or butter.
On Christmas Eve, they are made without meat and served among the traditional 12 courses of the dinner.
The dough, with its typical crescent shape, is made with flour, eggs, water, and salt.
The most common cooking methods are boiling or frying.
The following recipe is for the version I tasted in Krakow with potato and cheese: pierogi ruskie, which you can also find in the book “In cibo veritas, creative and ethnic cuisine”.
Not to be confused with:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stove, Boiling
- Cuisine: Polish
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for Pierogi Dough:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 egg
- 1 cup water
- to taste salt
- 2 cups potatoes
- 4 oz twaróg cheese (or ricotta)
- to taste salt and pepper
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 onion
- 5 oz smoked bacon (diced)
Preparation
Start with the dough: mix flour and salt together. Add the egg, water, and start kneading.
Work with your hands until you get a smooth and sticky dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling by mixing the boiled potato puree with cheese, seasoning with salt and pepper. Mix until the cheese is completely melted.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin and form disks with the help of a glass.
Fill each disk with a teaspoon of filling and fold into a crescent shape, sealing the edges well with the tines of a fork.
Boil in salted boiling water and drain on a plate. Finish by sautéing them in a pan with the onion browned in butter with the diced bacon.
You can also choose the frying method: fry the pierogi in plenty of hot oil, even ahead of serving time, reheat in the oven, and accompany with bacon browned with onion.
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In Ukraine, they are called varenyki, in Slovakia they are called pirohy. They can also be purchased online: VIRTU Pierogi ruskie 400 g.
In Ukraine, they are called varenyki, in Slovakia they are called pirohy. They can also be purchased online: VIRTU Pierogi ruskie 400 g.
During our trip to Warsaw in September 2024, we tried the version with meat, called pierogi z miesem, fried in a pan instead of boiled. 
During our trip to Warsaw in September 2024, we tried the version with meat, called pierogi z miesem, fried in a pan instead of boiled.
