serves 4
Since this is the first recipe I’m publishing, I’ll put the recipe first, and if you want to read the story and my comments underneath, then feel free. Otherwise, just cook! This will take hours. Do some prep ahead.
INGREDIENTS
DOUGH
• 1.75 cups all-purpose flour & 1.5 tbsp of bread flour
• ½ cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ stick of softened butter
FILLING
• 1½ lb potatoes of any kind
• ¾ cup mascarpone
• 2 cups kale, stems removed and finely chopped
• ½ tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg plus extra as needed
• Salt and pepper
• Plain Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Make the dough. Mix flour, salt, milk, and butter until a shaggy dough forms. Knead 10 minutes until smooth. Wrap and rest 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
2. Boil the potatoes. Cook in salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let steam dry. Peel them as soon as they cool to the touch.
3. Steam the kale, 4–5 minutes until wilted. Let cool, and squeeze out excess moisture. Then puree in a food processor or blender until pulverized.
4. Caramelize the onions. Melt butter in a skillet or dutch oven over medium-low. Cook onions low and slow, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden, about 25–30 minutes. Add garlic in the last few minutes. If you think the onions are starting to burn, add in a bit of water and lower the temp.
5. Make the filling. Mash hot potatoes, then stir in mascarpone, 3/4 of the caramelized onions, and kale. Season well. Cool completely before filling.
6. Roll and cut. Roll dough to ⅛ inch thick. Cut 3–3½ inch circles. I used a ravioli press, but use what you have like the rim of a jar or glass. Biscuit cutter can also work for this.
7. Fill and seal. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in each circle. Fold into a half-moon, pinch firmly, and crimp with a fork.
8. Boil. Cook in batches in salted boiling water until they float, then 2 minutes more. Remove with a slotted spoon.
9. Pan fry (optional) Use 2 tbsp of butter and pan fry the pierogis in batches until they are just a little crispy.
10. Plate the pierogis and top with the rest of the caramelized onions and some plain greek yogurt or sour cream.
I spent some time at the library looking at new cookbooks and came across a lovely book by Rosie Kellett. Her recipes are based on cooking and eating with her roommates who are also chefs. She creates recipes for large groups of 6-8.
I reduced her portions size, and added Kale to amp up the veggie content. I’m trying to hide veggies into meals for my family. The men here are picky eaters, so the better I disguise it the more nutrients we get.
When I was working my last job, one of my roles was to choose the catering menu for our once per week lunch. One of my favorite meals was from a restaurant in NYC called Veselka. They make THE BEST pierogis. So much so that we went from serving a couple hundred as a side dish to serving a couple thousand. That’s how good they are.
This was my attempt to re-create that feeling of being well taken care of. It’s a feeling of abundance that allows us to indulge from time to time in 8-10 pierogis each for dinner. The flavor with the mascarpone is decadent and so rich. I love using Greek Yogurt as a substitute for sour cream. Greek Yogurt has protein where sour cream doesn’t, and as someone who likes to go veg heavy and meat light, I really appreciate added protein where we can get it.
The best part of making this recipe was filling pierogis with Charles. He likes to help in the kitchen, (and to be on YouTube), so I love having him help me when I film.
I struggle with getting the fam to eat leftovers. That won’t be a problem here. We were able to freeze the other half of the pierogis for another time, and in my next recipe, I’ll let you know what to do with the leftover filling, if you have some.
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