Childhood – Pierogi Ruskie and sour cream sauce

Ingredients for 5 servings:

• 350 g flour
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• ½ jar water, hot
• Salt
• 500 g potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 250 g herb cream cheese, Polish (Twarog)
• 1 onion(s), finely chopped
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• Salt and pepper, white
• some clarified butter for frying
• 1 leek(s), including the green part
• 250 ml olive oil
• some salt
• some clarified butter for frying
• 1 shallot(s), finely chopped
• 250 ml cream
• 200 g sour cream (Smietana, 12% fat)
• 200 ml vegetable stock
• some flour
• salt and pepper
• 250 g sour cream
• 40 g caviar
• 50 g spring onion(s), cut into fine rings

Instructions

Working time approx. 50 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 35 minutes

from the show “The Perfect Dinner” on VOX from 27.02.2025

For the leek oil, finely chop the leek and toss with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Purée the mixture in a blender for 2-3 minutes. Then strain and let stand overnight in a hot, rinsed jar. For the pierogi dough, knead all ingredients into an elastic dough and wrap in cling film. Let rest for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, for the filling, fry the onions in a pan until translucent. Boil the potatoes, press them through a ricer while still warm, and mix with the twarog, melted butter, and fried onions. The mixture will be slightly sticky. Season generously with salt and white pepper. Roll out the pasta dough thinly and evenly on a floured surface. Cut out equal-sized circles using a glass or a round cutter. If you don’t have a ravioli mold, fill the pierogi by hand and seal them. Place about 1 teaspoon of filling onto each circle of dough, fold it over, and press the edges together. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Let the pierogi simmer in simmering (not boiling!) water until tender. As soon as they float to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon. Place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet to prevent them from sticking together. Before serving, lightly fry the pierogi in a pan with a little oil. For the sour cream sauce, heat clarified butter in a pan and sauté the shallots. Dust with a little flour to make a roux. Add the vegetable stock and cream, bring to a boil, and blend. Season with salt, pepper, and sour cream. Finally, blend the sauce with an immersion blender until frothy. To serve, spoon some of the sauce onto the plates, place three pierogi on top, and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a little leek oil. Top with leeks and caviar. Sarah prepared this recipe as a starter in the show “The Perfect Dinner” – Day 4 in the Bergisches Land, on Thursday, February 27, 2025.