Herby Greens and Potao Pierogi Filling

As far as I know this is not a traditional pierogi filling. But in the early chilly days of spring I think this is a fine way to take advantage of spring flavours and produce in the cosy package of a dumpling. These are definitely a bit of a project, I recommend getting a second set of hands on deck to make filling the pierogi go a bit faster or so someone can fill while the other cooks them in batches. And work to get your dough rolled out as thin as you can, too thick of dough and your dumplings will be very unpleasant (trust me on this!). Some other notes, many pierogi recipes call for frying in butter and I think this would be fine for one or two batches but I always end up burning it. I’ve switched to ghee for frying my pierogi with much better results, but oil would work as well. Just choose one with a fairly high smoke point. As for the greens I used collard greens (called spring greens in the UK). Most sturdy greens like chard or kale would work, or even spinach. Just make sure they are finely chopped so they cook easily and fit better inside the dumpling. These can be served on their own but I like some kind of tangy dairy, such as feta or sour cream. A yoghurt sauce (or an non-dairy version of these!) would go well.

Fills about 40-50 pierogies

Ingredients:

3 tbsp butter or oil, separated (plus more for frying- though I recommend ghee or oil for frying. See notes)

500g (1lb) Potatoes, peeled and boiled tender

1 shallot, diced

500g greens, thick ribs removed and finely chopped (check notes for recommendations)

½ cup parsley, roughly chopped

½ cup of mint, roughly chopped

½ cup of dill, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon hot paprika

Zest of one lemon

Salt

Black pepper

Optional: feta or sour cream to serve

Pierogi dough - I recommend this recipe from Kasia at The Polonist. This one requires just flour, water, and salt.

1. In a large bowl mash together your potatoes with 1tbsp of butter or oil and set aside

2. Set a frying pan or skillet over medium heat with the other 2tbsp of butter or oil. Add the diced shallot and cook until softened and turning translucent.

3. Add the chopped greens to the pan, plus a pinch of salt to help draw water out of the greens. Cook until tender, tossing every few minutes. This should take around 10 minutes depending on your green.

4. Once cooked remove the greens from the heat and add to the bowl of mashed potatoes. Add in the chopped herbs, paprika, 1tsp of ground black pepper, and lemon zest and mix thoroughly.

5. Taste the filling for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.

6. Begin rolling out portions of the pierogi dough and cut out rounds using a biscuit or cookie cutter about 3.5in/9cm in diameter.

7. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of filling into the center of the dough round and fold over and press edges firmly together. You may get fancy with pleats or crimping if you wish, but there is no need. Repeat with the rest of the filling and dough.

8. Set a large pot of lightly salted water over medium high heat and bring to a boil.

9. In batches of 6-10 (depending on the size of your pot), carefully drop in the dumplings (I recommend a spider or wide slotted spoon for this) and wait until they float to the surface and cook for one minute more. Continue with the rest of the pierogi, taking care to keep the water at a steady but not furious boil. You may serve immediately or then fry.

10. If frying, I recommend setting the pierogi on a wire rack, this helps the water evaporate. I find this helps with browning as well as reducing the sputtering of water in the oil.

11. Once you have all of your pierogi boiled, set a frying pan over medium high heat with 3-4 tbsp of oil or butter (or ghee).

12. Nestle your dumplings in the hot oil and fry on both sides until golden, this should take about 2-3 minutes on each side. Replenish the oil in the pan as needed. I recommend keeping the fried pierogi warm in a low oven until ready to serve.