Potato-Stuffed Pierogi

Makes: 24 dumplings, 4 to 6 servings

Time: About 1 hour

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These dumplings are creamy and savory, cooked in butter and served with cooked onion and sour cream. They can also be boiled and served with melted butter.

  1. Put 1 tablespoon butter in a large deep skillet, preferably nonstick or cast iron, over medium heat and add the onion along with a liberal sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, then turns brown. This may take as long as half an hour. It’s okay if the onion gets a bit crisp on the edges, but lower the heat as necessary so it doesn’t cook too fast; basically you want a kind of onion compote.
  2. Combine half the onion and the garlic, if you’re using it, with the mashed potatoes, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Set the remaining onions aside. There’s no need to wipe out the pan. Heat the oven to 200°F.
  3. Lay a wrapper on a work surface and put 1 to 2 teaspoons of the stuffing in the center of it. Brush the edge of the wrapper with egg white. If you have cut circles, form half-moons; if you have cut squares, form triangles. Press the seam tightly to seal; it’s best if there is no air trapped between the stuffing and wrapper, so press down slightly. Set on a lightly floured plate or wax paper; don’t let the dumplings touch. (At this point, you may cover tightly and refrigerate for up to a day or freeze for a couple of weeks; no need to thaw — they’ll just take a couple extra minutes to cook.)
  4. Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Working in batches, in combination with the frying in Step 5, carefully boil the dumplings until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer them with a slotted spoon to the skillet.
  5. Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium heat. When the butter melts, add as many boiled dumplings as will fit without crowding and brown them quickly, turning once or twice until the dough is tender, about 10 minutes total. When they are done, transfer them to an ovenproof plate and keep them warm in the oven. Cook the remaining dumplings, adding butter to the skillet as needed. When all are cooked, lower the heat a bit and reheat the reserved onions, then spread them out over the dumplings. Serve hot, passing sour cream at the table.

Fried Cheese-Stuffed Dumplings Decadent in an old-fashioned way: Don’t bother with the onion, but chop about ¼ cup fresh parsley or dill to use as a garnish. Instead of the potatoes, make a cheese stuffing by draining 1 cup cottage cheese in a fine-meshed strainer for an hour or so, or by mashing 1 cup farmer’s or pot cheese. Stir in 1 teaspoon sugar, a pinch salt, 1 egg white, and ¼ cup sour cream.

Sauerkraut and Potato–Stuffed Dumplings Substitute 1 cup drained sauerkraut for the onion. Mix with mashed potatoes made with olive oil instead of dairy and use Dumpling Wrappers (page 355). Proceed with the recipe, using olive oil or good-quality vegetable oil instead of butter for sautéing. Serve with Caramelized Onions (page 222) or Applesauce (page 275). V