pierogi grzybowe - mushroom Pierogi

This is the first time I have made pierogi since my mother died a few years back. Making pierogi is one of the happiest memories I have of my dear babcia (my grandmother) and my mother. We usually favoured a sweet cheese pierogi, but there are many different varieties and fillings.  This one is a good one for Lent (which is starting soon) as it contains no meat - but is so tasty you don't miss that at all!

Pierogi Dough

1 egg yolk

Pierogi grzybowe - lightly refried the next day

2 cups of white flour, sifted

1/2 cup water

Mix the flour with the egg yolk and water, and mix together. Knead until it is a smooth dough that doesn't stick to your fingers. Pop it into a container, cover with plastic, and leave in fridge until ready to use.

Mushroom Filling

450g fresh mushrooms, finely chopped

olive oil for frying (add in 1tsp of butter for a hint of extra flavour)

1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

lightly saute the onion until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook gently for 10-15 minutes until all the moisture has been sweated off. Stir breadcrumbs and parsley through the mushrooms.

Assembly & Cooking

Look at all that mushroomy goodness!

Roll out walnut sized pieces of dough into circles, place a spoonful of mushroom filling in the centre. Fold the dough over, and crimp to close. The dough should be elastic enough to stretch easily over the filling.

You can make the pieces as small as desired (little dumplings for soup) or larger ones.  

Drop the pierogi into boiling salted water. They are cooked when they float to the top. Pierogi can be eaten straight from the pot, re-fried or baked the next day, or added to soups (if you make little dumplings!).