I ate potato and dill pierogi for the first time 4 years ago, when my dear friend Bea Lubas I made them for myself after we finished doing a photography workshop together. We were all exhausted after more than 4 days of non-stop talking and teaching, but she had taken it into her head to prepare pierogis for me, our friends + the restaurateurs Mona + Jaret and our other friend Danielle who had assisted us at the workshop . Bea had come across a sheep’s cheese at the farmer’s market that was very reminiscent of the one used in Poland for pierogi filling.
Bea is originally from Poland, and although she now calls England her home, her Polish cooking skills are absolutely phenomenal and the pierogi she made were one of the best meals I’ve ever had. She had adapted the recipe for her potato and dill pierogi from her mother-in-law, whose pierogi were renowned in the Lubas household, and now I share with you this recipe which I adapted Bea’s recipe. So what makes this nettle and dill potato pierogi so special? Well, for me it’s the herbaceous punch of the large amount of dill, paired with the slightly tangy cream cheese, the super earthy flavor of the nettle, the fluffy potato filling and the sweet caramelized onions. It’s everything you could want from a ravioli, both in texture and flavor.
Tips for making Pierogi
- Roll out the dough *very thin* (about 3 mm thick)
- Allow the filling to dry so that it is not too wet
- Make a large batch and freeze some *before boiling* for a future treat
- If you’re boiling a large batch of pierogies to serve multiple people, add a little olive oil after straining them and spread them out on a plate without touching them to prevent them from sticking together
As far as tips for making pierogies go, the most important tip I have is to roll out the dough as thin as possible, ideally it should be *very slightly* transparent, so you can see some light through it if you hold it in front of the lamp. This will keep the pierogi nice and soft after boiling, because the thicker the dough, the firmer and less tender the pierogi will be. This is tricky, though, because you don’t even want it to be so thin that it pops. You’ll also want to make sure you don’t leave too much air inside the pierogi when you fill it, or the air pockets could cause it to burst when it boils.
I made a video to show a little more about filling potato and dill pierogies, and there’s also a video here that’s helpful for a close-up of the folding technique. It looks so elegant when you’re done, but it really is Very easy to do once you understand how it works. You can also feel free to substitute the nettle for spinach if you don’t have any, just make sure to squeeze the excess water out of the spinach so the filling isn’t too wet. Since pierogies are a little tricky to make, I like to make a big batch and then freeze half of them for later. They cook up very well after being frozen. They’re perfect for a lazy, slow project in the kitchen on a summer day, I hope you enjoy them my friends!
And PS — If you have some nettles lying around and are looking for other tasty ways to preserve them, I highly recommend this zesty lemon-pistachio nettle pesto.
Potatoes with Nettle and Dill Pierogi
Makes about 50 individual pierogi dumplings.
Stuffed with nettle pierogi
-
2
cups
fresh nettle leaves
stems removed -
2
yellow onions
chopped -
2
spoons
extra virgin olive oil -
1
teaspoon
salt -
1
pound
Russet potatoes
peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes -
8
ounces
Chevre -
8
ounces
cottage cheese -
1
ounces
fresh dill
chopped -
2
Cloves
garlic
chopped - Black pepper to taste
Pierogi dough
-
3 1/3
cups
plus 3 tablespoons flour -
1/2
teaspoon
salt -
2
small eggs -
3
spoons
unsalted butter
melted -
3/4
cup
plus 1 or 2 teaspoons warm water
To serve
-
1
table spoon
unsalted butter -
1/4
cup
some caramelized onions -
1
ounce
fresh dill
chopped
Stuffed with nettle pierogi
-
The filling can be prepared the day before and left covered in the refrigerator overnight.
-
Be sure to use gloves when handling raw nettle leaves. Blanch the nettle leaves in lightly salted boiling water for 90 seconds, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Squeeze the nettle leaves between the palms of your hands, pressing them together over a sink to remove any excess water (this is very important, we don’t want the filling to be too wet!) Set the squeezed nettle aside.
-
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and salt and stir until coated with the hot oil. Cook until soft and translucent, stirring every few minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the onions are lightly browned, about 30 to 40 minutes more, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Reserve 1/4 cup caramelized onions for serving and use the rest for the filling.
-
While the onions cook, boil the potatoes in a medium saucepan filled with lightly salted boiling water until tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool to room temperature and dry a bit.
-
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the potatoes and nettles until the potatoes are coarsely mashed and the nettles chopped. Alternatively you can mash the potatoes with your hands and finely chop the cooked nettle and then mix everything together.
-
In a large bowl, stir together the chevre and ricotta until well combined. Add the potato mixture, the filling portion of the caramelized onions, the dill and garlic and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
-
Divide the filling into 50 equal sized ovals, similar in shape and size to a medjool date. If you have a kitchen scale it’s simpler, just measure the total weight of the filling in grams and divide it by 50. So, for example, I got 960 grams of total filling, or about 20 grams per oval. Place them on a large baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment and place them in the refrigerator uncovered while you prepare the dough.
Pierogi dough
-
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the beaten eggs and butter. Start mixing with a wooden spoon, slowly adding the water until incorporated. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead the dough until elastic and smooth, about 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky you can add a little more flour, but don’t overdo it otherwise the dough will be too hard.
-
Divide the dough into 4 parts and form each into a rough oval shape, cover 3 portions and set aside. Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface until very thin, about 3mm. Cut out 12 to 13 circles (very close together) with a 3.25-inch round cookie cutter or jar lid.
-
Take one of the dough circles and place a mound of filling in the center. Fold the dough over like a half moon and pinch the edges together, pushing the filling down with your finger as much as necessary to keep the filling inside the pierogi so it doesn’t touch the edges. Curl the edges creating folds as seen in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO5QnIVABdQ
-
Place the pierogies on a baking tray lined with baking paper or wax paper and cover with a sheet of cling film. Repeat with the remaining 3.25-inch circular scraps of dough, then repeat with the remaining 3 portions of dough.
-
If you want to freeze some for a quick and tasty future meal, spread them on a baking tray, without touching them, cover them with a sheet of cling film and place them in the freezer overnight. Then you can remove them from the pan once frozen and throw them in a resealable container or plastic bag, seal it well and store it in the freezer to cook and use within 1 year.
Boil + Serve the Pierogi
-
To prepare it, bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the pierogies and stir *gently* as they cook to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once the pierogies rise to the surface, let them cook for another 2 minutes before transferring them to a plate with a slotted spoon. Toss the cooked pierogies with a tablespoon of butter, caramelized onions and dill and enjoy!
