My Mind's Ink

This is a favorite of a lot of my friends and family. If you do not come from the Ukraine or live in Western Canada then a perogy is just basically a large ravioli.

Dough

• 1-1/2 c. flour
• 2 eggs
• pinch salt
• splash of water

Filling

• 400 g yellow potatoes
• 100 g sharp white cheddar
• 20 g butter
• 1 tsp. white truffle oil

Egg Wash

• 1 egg
• splash water

Instructions

Mix all the flour, eggs and salt together. If the dough won’t come together add a splash of water.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and kneed with your hands until it becomes elastic (about a minute or two). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Peel the potatoes and cut into even sized pieces so the cook evenly. Boil until tender. Drain very well.

Shred cheese. Combine with cooked potatoes, butter, and truffle oil . Follow the link for more info on truffle oil. Set the filling aside and allow to cool. Room temperature seems easiest to manage.

Split the dough in half and roll approximately 1mm thick. Roll and fill half of the dough at a time.

Cut the dough into about 4" diameter rounds.

Mix the egg and water together in small bowl to make an egg wash.

Spoon a rounded tablespoon of the potato filling on the center of a piece of dough. Brush one half of the rim of the circle with the egg wash. Fold the dough in half to form a half moon shape. Press the edges together to seal.

Toss the finished perogie lightly in flour to prevent it from sticking. Cook within a day or freeze for up to 2 months.

To cook the perogies whether fresh or frozen simply drop into rapidly boiling salted water. Use more water per perogie for frozen ones as the heat drop will be greater. They are usually done when the flout to the top of the pot, but be sure to check. Once the pasta has reached al dente they are good to go.

Garnish

Caramelized onions and sour cream are good accompaniments. I’m also working on a nice lemon butter I think will go well, but I don’t have a recipe for it yet.

Tips

You can mix the dough with a machine, or in the traditional manner, but I find this small amount is just as easy and less mess to do in a mixing bowl. Start off blending together with a fork it prevents huge clumps sticking to your hands. Once it starts to come together get in there and kneed with your hands.

If you have never made this recipe before it’s best to add the oil a 1/4 tsp. at a time. Its powerful stuff and can vary from bottle to bottle. Add a bit at a time, mix thoroughly and taste after each addition. The taste will tame a bit by the time you are finished but you don’t want it overpowering.

A pasta machine makes your life easier but it is not strictly necessary, a rolling pin works fine. You want to roll the pasta out to a thickness of about one millimeter. Thinner dough is less intrusive and tastes better, but is also more delicate so if you are having trouble try thicker dough. You will need to have some flour handy. When the dough sticks to the surface or the rolling pin sprinkle with four.

You need a round cutter of some kind. You can buy one, or often a large empty can will work just as well. When I make them I use a cutter about 4 inches in diameter. Again, not critical. You can make smaller, or slightly larger ones if you desire. Cut as many rounds as you can from the dough.

You can place the perogies on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer to quick freeze them. They can then be bagged and kept frozen for up to a couple of months.

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