Recipe: PIEROGI!

Ciastowate Kluska Dobroć or "YUM..."

by Renwick Miller
04/16/2013

If you're wondering, "Ciastowate Kluska Dobroć" means "doughy dumpling goodness" in Polski ("The Polish"), and no, I don't speak Polish.  Languages are fun, and so is Google Translate.

For those of you who're used to the traditional recipe format and / or didn't read the "about" page, I'll do my best not to piss you off too bad, but don't expect miracles.  Ditto for you, pierogi purists.  I didn't grow up in the Polish tradition, but do enjoy good food, so feel free to enlighten me via the comments section below.

On Frozen Peirogi

There's more than a few brands on the market, and if you're not familiar, the choices can seem daunting, but here's where pierogi make things easy;  It's a dumpling.

Kaisa's:  A nationally distributed, Chicago born brand and one of my favs.

In other words, it's really hard to screw these up, I think.  Don't get me wrong, it's happened.  Ask the pierogi enthusiasts at ChowHound.com, they've got some very firm opinions on what to try and what to avoid.  I say explore a bit. 

Brands:  Here in Chicago (and distributed nationally) two of the big names are Kaisa's and Alexandra's.  Solid labels, both.  If you're having problems finding them locally, Kaisa's was rumored to ship individual orders once upon a time, and Alexandra's has a hotline to help you find a local distributor.

If you're lucky enough to be in an area with Polish / Eastern European centric grocers, you'll find all sorts of brands and varieties that you won't be able to read the labels of.  JUMP IN!  Naturally you'll want to experiment on your own a bit before trying to impress that Eastern Euro crush of yours with an "Old Country" dinner, but that's part of the fun, no?

Varieties:  Also a fun part of this experience.  Again, it's a dumpling.  You can stuff it with just about anything you like, and many do.  There are of course the traditional choices (sauerkraut, potato & onion, kielbasa, cheese, etc) but in researching this article, not only did I find there's a Pierogi Fest just outside the Chicago city limits, but there's some pretty amazing sounding stuffing choices out there;  Apricot, plum butter and other fruity goodness.

HOLY CRAP...  

I'm going to cease my pierogi education efforts right here and refer you to the Wikipedia article.  Wow.

Jestem Głodny, Cholera! 

OK, down to business.  You'll need to hook or crook yourself the following:

• Frozen pierogi (usually packaged by the dozen)
• 2 - 3 Tbsp. Seasoned olive oil or 
• 2 - 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1-1.5 cups of red and green bell peppers, chopped (save the seeds!)
• .5 - .75 (that's 1/2 to 3/4, NOT 50 to 75!) cups red onion, chopped.
• dried basil or oregano
• salt and pepper
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, diced / chopped / smashed...  Your call.
• Polish sausage, bacon or ham should you choose meat.
• Applesauce
• Sour cream

Personally, I like to steam my dumplings first.  They tend to either burn or stay frozen in the center when going straight from freezer to pan.  If you can pull it off though, good on you.  Once that's done, heat the oil or butter to cooking temperature.  For this one I used a seasoned olive oil (instructions here).  I like to give it medium heat for a minute or two and toss a lone droplet of water into the pan to test.  If it pops, you're ready.  Do NOT try this naked.

Options:  If you're serving meat, you can skip the oil or butter (mostly) and start by sizzling that up first and using the resulting oils & juices to saute everything else.  As I remember it, I used olive oil the night of that photo, so that's how we'll continue.

And stop with the dirty thoughts, already.

Once the oil's ready to go, begin adding the fresh vegetables, stirring steadily.  We're not cooking them, but just a quick saute to unlock flavors.  Keeping the veggie crunch is a nice texture contrast to the dumplings, too.  You'll know one fresh veg is ready and it's time to add the next when you can smell it.  Say you add the garlic first;  when you can smell it, maybe see some browning, add the onion.  When that begins to react to the oil, add the bell pepper, and so on.  I saved the cilantro for last because it's so easy to...  Ruin, for lack of a better word.  Leafy greens like that don't take much, 10-15 seconds, tops.  Once you see it change to a deeper shade of green than what came out of the fridge, it's time for it to come off the fire, or to add the next ingredient, as that serves as a heat buffer.

For the salt, pepper and dried herbs, add them as the spirit moves, though early is usually best.  You want them to both release flavors and pick up some moisture, softening both the flavors and the dried leaves you're inevitably going to bite into.  But, if you're the sort of freak that likes the zing from chewing dried oregano or basil, have at it!  I may just join you for dinner someday.

On that note, check the picture closely, and you'll see bell pepper seeds on the dumplings.  I LOVE these little flavor packets.  Think of it, that little seed has the potential to become a bell pepper PLANT.  The flavor's already there!  They're also packed with moisture, and the fibers aren't terribly tough, so a little while in the pan and they're ready to melt in your mouth.  Just about any time during the saute you can add them, though I like to go early with these as well.

From here, it's time to add the dumplings, and you can go one of two directions;  High heat, your undivided attention, and lots of stirring or medium heat, your near undivided attention, and lots of stirring.  The idea here is to avoid soaking the pierogi in oil.  I don't know about you, but unless I'm really hungover, greasy dumplings are no fun.  Either way, keep in mind this doughy concoction is easy to burn.  You want just a little browning, maybe some charring, and pull it out to drain in a colander or on a paper towel.   Remember it's already cooked, you're just trying to douse it with a little oil and cook some flavor through.

From here, it's time to serve. I'm a huge fan of sweet / savory flavor combinations, so applesauce and sour cream on top are mandatory for me, especially where meat's involved,  though traditionally that's a dessert option.

And get your mind out of the gutter, pervert.

[Photo To Come]

Jeebus...  It's 4am.  A few hours sleep and it's back to the hunt for a day job.  Thanks for listening to me ramble, and join us next time for another installment of "Cooking:  Therapy For The Broke".