Potato, Bacon and Onion Pierogi {Pierogi z ziemniakami, boczkiem i cebulą}
Sautéed bacon bits and fragrant onions mixed with starchy mashed potatoes (all of my favorite things, by the way) make the filling for this pierogi recipe. I’ve seen this ingredient combo being called pierogi chłopskie [pyeh-ro-gee hwoh-spkye] before. Perhaps, the simple ingredients for the filling is what suggests the name for “peasant” pierogi, considering that those ingredients were always around, even on the poorest of farms back in the day.
I chose to serve them boiled, garnished with onions sautéed in butter. This is how you will see them served in Polish restaurants, most of the time. You can, of course give them a little color by browning them in butter, if that’s your personal preference.
You can view a quick lesson on how to seal pierogi, done by me in the video below.
Potato, Bacon and Onion Pierogi {Pierogi z ziemniakami, boczkiem i cebulą}
Ingredients
- Dough:
- 3 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 whole egg
- 1 tsp of salt
- 300 ml / 1 1/4 cup of warm water
- Filling:
- 3 lbs / 1.5 kg of raw potatoes (or 6 cups of leftover mashed potatoes)
- 12 oz / 300 g of good quality, thick cut smoked bacon
- 3 small onions (about 1.5 cups of chopped onions)
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt - if needed
Instructions
To make dough, place all flour, salt and egg in the mixing bowl. If you're using a stand up mixer, using the hook attachment make dough by adding water bit by bit. If working by hands, also slowly add water until dough clumps. Then transfer unto floured surface and work until smooth. Cover in plastic and set aside.
Peel potatoes, rinse them and cut into smaller pieces. Boil in salted water until soft.
In the mean time, dice bacon and onions. Sauté bacon ONLY in a medium frying pan until golden brown (don't burn!), stirring occasionally. When perfectly brown, remove from fat, but leave fat in the pan. Now add onion to the pan and sauté until perfectly golden brown, stirring occasionally.
When potatoes are soft, mash them with a potato masher. Add bacon bit, onions and freshly ground pepper. Mix and taste. Add a bit more salt, if needed.
Now, it's time to make pierogi. Fill a large pot with water, add a tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil to it. Bring to boil.
Place portion of the dough on a floured surface and roll it out with a rolling pin to about 1/8 inch / 3 mm in thickness. With a glass (or a pierogi cutter*) cut out circles, place filling on each circle and close to form pierogi**.
Turn boiling water to low heat, drop dumplings into the water in batches (7-10 at a time). Stir gently and let float. When they float up to the top, let sit for about 2-3 minutes. Don't let the water roll, it may brake your dumplings, and we don't want that.
Remove dumplings and place onto a clean surface without touching. You may serve immediately garnished with onions sauteed in butter, or brown pierogi in butter before serving.
Notes
If freeing, let cool completely and place in a container without touching, use parchment paper to create layers. Place in the freezer until frozen. Once they're frozen, you can place in a zip top bag and freeze until ready to eat. To thaw, you can place frozen pierogi in a large frying pan with a few tablespoons of water, cover and heat on low until thawed. Add a bit more water, if needed. Once pierogi are thawed, you may serve like that, or add a bit of butter and sauté before serving.
You can view recipes for more pierogi fillings in the PIEROGI AND DUMPLINGS section of my recipe index.
Smacznego!
Anna
*click on the banner below, to see MY FAVORITE THINGS, tools I use in my kitchen, including a pierogi cutter.
**scroll up to see a video about way to seal pierogi.
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