Pan-Fried Potato and Cheddar Pierogi
Hand-pleated dumplings boiled until they float, then finished in butter and onions until the edges blister.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 1 hour
- Cook
- 20 min
- Written
Method
-
Whisk the egg, sour cream, and warm water together, then stir into the flour and salt until a shaggy dough forms.
-
Turn the dough out and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, then wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
-
Boil the potatoes in salted water until a knife slides in with no resistance, about 15 minutes, then drain.
-
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet and cook half the onion over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
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Mash the potatoes with the cheddar and the cooked onion, season with salt and pepper, and let the filling cool until it’s no longer steaming.
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Roll the dough out thin on a floured surface and cut into 3-inch rounds.
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Spoon a teaspoon of filling onto each round, fold in half, and pinch the edges tightly closed, crimping with a fork.
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and drop the pierogi in batches, cooking until they float to the surface, then 2 minutes more.
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Lift the pierogi out with a slotted spoon and let them steam-dry on a towel-lined tray.
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Melt the remaining butter in a skillet with the remaining onion and pan-fry the boiled pierogi in batches until golden and blistered on both sides.
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Serve hot with extra sour cream.
Notes
The dough should feel like play dough — tacky but not sticking to your hands — and the rest is what keeps it from snapping back when you roll it. Don’t skip the boil before the pan-fry: it cooks the dough through, and the butter step is only there to crisp and brown what’s already done.
Leftover boiled pierogi keep in the fridge for a few days or freeze on a tray before bagging — pan-fry straight from frozen, no thawing needed. A spoonful of sauerkraut folded into the filling is the classic variation if you want something sharper than plain potato and cheddar.