Zuza Zak, the author behind ‘Pierogi,’ is something of a Polish dumpling expert.
The pieróg is a very homely fare . you could use up at the highest - rated Polish restaurants in Greenpoint , Brooklyn or Chicago ’s Northwest side . The best pierogi , though , will be at your ciocia ’s , or aunt ’s , theater in some out - of - the - way village in Poland . She ’ll tumble the half - lunation dumplings — caramelized onions and all — straight from the fry pan onto your plate . You ’ll bite into their crisp - yet - chewy center , relish the sauerkraut she fermented herself and the mushroom she hook from a nearby wood . You ’ll lose racecourse of how many you ’ve take .
Of of course , the second best pierogi is the one you make for yourself . At its most basic class , the dumplings is a pocket of unleavened dough , fill with savory ingredient , like tater and twarog cheese , or sweet fruits such as blueberries . But as Polish author Zuza Zak showcases inPierogi : Over 50 formula to make Perfect Polish Dumplings , this expression can be remixed to make room for a buttermilk lolly encasing extensive beans and feta , or a pinkish and chicken marbled variety , meet with rhubarband swimming in custard .
“ For a very tenacious clock time , Polish cuisine definitely had the reputation of being quite stodgy , heavy , and not full of flavor . And I recollect that harks back to communist times , ” Zak explains . “ In the ’ 90s , Emily Price Post - communism , the country was in chaos , and communism forbade any variety of individual business organization . So no one had restaurants . That whole polish did n’t develop in Poland . ”
Photo by Ola O. Smit
The author separatesPierogiinto two parts : one that pays testimonial to traditional , regional formula that traverse the shady look of the Baltic Sea to the unique combo of smoky and sour found in the mountainous south ; and one that try out with modern rendering , include gluten - free and vegan options .
Zak presents a numeral of origin stories for pierogi , which partake law of similarity with their easterly European cousins , theUkrainian varenykyand Russian pelmeni . Legend has it , for exemplar , that in the former thirteenth century , Saint Jacek brought pierogi over from Ukraine , after taste them at a convent in Kyiv . But Zak conceive the most plausible theory relates to the spontaneous history of women in the kitchen .
“ Once they had flour , some fat , and water , they would of course have put those together and experimented to make something that would add a bit of assortment to the kitchen . And of course , pierogi are a wonderful elbow room ofusing up leftovers , which is exactly what we do in the Boxing Day pierogi recipe , ” Zak says .
Zak files her packing Day pierogi as a traditional recipe , but with thezero waste movementof today , it can also be thought of as a modern one . The idea is to make pierogi out of the remnant turkey , potatoes , and vegetable from a roast dinner party , electrocute them to crispy beau ideal in fat from the bird , and run through them alongside a seasonal cranberry sauce .
“ It ’s fishy how citizenry seem to think that pierogi dough is much more complicated than it is , ” Zak says . “ The simplest Polish lettuce is literally just flour , a small bit of salt , oil , and hot water . ” And it ’s unmistakably forgive . If you ’ve added too much weewee and the dough feels too wet , add more flour . Conversely , If you ’ve added too much flour and the dough feels too juiceless , add a splash of water . “ It ’s a very instinctive process , ” Zak say , but most authoritative is that you let the dough breathe for 20 hour or so .
“ When figure out with leftovers , you really can vex anything that was on your table into a pierogi , ” Zak aver . “ But the thing is , you necessitate something to hold fast the weft together . ” This could be anything from feta to sweet potato , or you may just crack up an egg . “ Another of import thing is to verify you do n’t have any off-white . So do take all the meat off by bridge player and chop it up . ”
The cranberry sauce , which is made from fresh or frosty cranberry , shekels , and the juice and zest of an orange , seems to be a universal dish — a mainstay of Thanksgiving in the U.S. as well as Christmas Day in the U.K. , where Zak live . But it ’s also eaten on top of oscypek , a grilled mountain cheese , in Poland . It ’s a perfectly tart complement to any lusty meal .
To fake the pierogi , you ’ll moil them first before pan frying for spare crispiness . But if you anticipate having remnant from your leftovers , Zak recommends freezing the extra pierogi before boiling . To prevent the dumpling from bond together , simply leave some room between each one on a baking tray , perhaps adding some flour , and as presently as they ’re frozen , transplant them into a box . Then , you ’ll cook from glacial , giving them a bit more time to churn . “ Once they float to the top , rather than two to three minutes , perchance give them five transactions , ” Zak say .
Perhaps the good part of enjoying pierogi are the crispy flake you get when finishing them off in a fry pan on high heat , and , sometimes , they ’re fry with a crunchy topping cry okrasa , which can be anything from Francis Bacon to turnip-rooted celery . In this recipe , Zak suggests frying the pierogi in goose fat , but you may really apply any animal fat you have give over from the roast . “ This just throw that variety of fullness to the pierogi . So you ’re still really enjoying the Christmas dinner party , but in a totally different variety , ” she says .
And if you were in need of any more convincing , this formula is perfect for import of bonding . “ It ’s a really fun , active family activity , ” Zak says . “ you could just sort of sit around a big table , get the kids involved , drink java or tea , and connect to one another pretend pierogi . And that experience like what vacation time should be about , really . ”
Boxing Day Pierogi
attend to 4
Ingredients : For the cranberry sauce :
For the dough :
For the filling :
To attend :
Directions:1 . Make the cranberry sauce first , as it needs to cool in the electric refrigerator . Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and contribute to the boil , then turn the heating system down and simmer until the cranberries pass apart and the sauce thickens , about 10 minutes . Cool and transfer to a sealed container ( this can keep in the electric refrigerator for up to a week ) .
2 . Put all the ingredient for the simoleons , apart from the water , in a with child bowl and combine with your script . tardily teem the water into the arena with one handwriting while mixing with the other . Add just enough of the measured H2O to bring it together ( you may not involve it all ) . Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 6–7 minutes , then cover with a clean , damp saucer towel and allow to breathe at elbow room temperature for 20–30 minutes .
3 . Make the filling by combining all the filling ingredients in a stadium and seasoning well .
4 . Roll the dough out as thin as you may and you use your favorite method to shape , fill and seal off the pierogi , placing them on a lightly floured Earth’s surface as you go .
5 . fetch a magnanimous pan of salted body of water to the boil and boil the pierogi in batches . When they float to the top , give them an surplus 2 minutes , then polish off with a slotted spoonful , agitate off any supererogatory H2O , and transfer to a warm bowl with the jackass fat in it . Toss gently to pelage .
6 . Heat a declamatory frying pan and carefully electrocute the cooked pierogi on both sides in the goose fat until gilded and crispy . Serve and love with the cranberry sauce .
Excerpted with permission fromPierogiby Zuza Zak published by Quadrille , September 2022 , RRP $ 24.00 Hardcover .
