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1
Sauerkraut Filling: Rinse the sauerkraut well in warm water, squeeze dry, and chop very fine.
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2
Cook the onion in the fat or shortening until tender.
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3
Add the sauerkraut and cream.
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4
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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5
Cook over low heat for 15 minutes or until sauerkraut is tender and the flavors blend.
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6
Do not over cook.
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7
Chill thoroughly.
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8
Mix the flour with the salt in a deep bowl.
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9
Add the egg, oil and water to make a medium soft dough.
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10
Knead on a floured board until the dough is smooth.
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11
Caution: Too much kneading will toughen the dough.
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12
Divide the dough into 2 parts.
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13
Cover and let stand for at least 10 minutes.
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14
Prepare the filling.
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15
The filling should be thick enough to hold its shape.
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16
Roll the dough quite thin on a floured board.
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17
Cut rounds with a large biscuit cutter, or as most old-world grandmothers did, with the open end of a glass.
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18
Put the round in the palm of your hand.
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19
Place a spoonful of filling in it, fold over to form a half circle and press the edges together with the fingers.
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20
The edges should be free of filling.
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21
Be sure the edges are sealed well to prevent the filling from running out.
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22
Place the pierogi on a floured board or tea towel and then cover with another tea towel to prevent them from drying out.
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23
COOKING: Drop a few pierogies into a large quantity of rapidly boiling salted water.
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24
Do not attempt to cook too many at a time.
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25
Stir VERY gently with a wooden spoon to separate them and to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
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26
Continue boiling for 3-4 minutes.
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27
The cooling period will depend upon the size you made it, the thickness of the dough and the filling.
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28
Pierogies will be ready when they are puffed.
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29
Remove them with a perforated spoon or skimmer to a colander and drain thoroughly.
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30
Place in a deep dish, sprinkle generously with melted butter to prevent them from sticking.
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31
Cover and keep them hot until all are cooked.
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32
Serve in a large dish without piling or crowding them.
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33
Top with melted butter- chopped crisp bacon and/or chopped onions lightly browned in butter.
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34
REHEATING: One of the great things about pierogies, is that they can be made in large quantities, refrigerated, frozen and reheated without lost of quality.
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35
Many prefer reheated pierogies as compared to freshly boiled ones.
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36
To re-heat, you can 1) pan fry pierogies in butter or bacon fat until they are light in color or 2) heat the pierogies in the top of a double boiler or in the oven until they are hot and plump or 3) deep fry them.
