Ukrainian Potato Varenyky (known as Pierogi in Poland)

00:00 Intro
00:25 Choosing the Batch Size
00:22 Dough
03:39 Filling
07:09 Rolling the Dough
09:45 Cutting the Circles
10:36 Shaping Varenyky
12:43 Brown Butter
13:09 Cooking Varenyky

Serves 4

The Dough:
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For 40 varenyky:
300g bread flour (unbleached allpurpose is fine in a pinch)
1 large egg + 1 large yolk + enough cold water to get 185g* of wet ingredients
5.7g salt (1 tsp table salt or 2 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher or weighed for all other salt types)
* This assumes very low humidity. For wetter climates, decrease to 175g.

For 80 varenyky:
600g bread flour (unbleached allpurpose is fine in a pinch)
2 large egg + 2 large yolk + enough cold water to get 370g* of wet ingredients
11.4g salt (2 tsp table salt or 4 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher or weighed for all other salt types)
* This assumes very low humidity. For wetter climates, decrease to 350g.

Put the flour, then the wet ingredients, then salt into the food processor. Run it until no dry flour remains. Get all the dough clumps out onto a work surface and knead for 8 min by hand.
How to knead pasta dough:    • How to Make Egg Pasta (an indepth gu...  

If your dough sticks after the first minute of kneading, add more flour. Dust with flour, wrap in plastic, and let rest 30 min and up to 6 hours at room temperature.

The Filling for 80 varenyky:
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Sauteed Onions:
2 yellow onions, diced (about 340g)
2 Tbsp butter
Salt

Set a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the onions and salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions start to turn translucent, about 10 min. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are golden brown, about 10 min.

Mashed Potatoes
2 Lb (900g) yukon gold potatoes (or some other “boiling” potatoes)
4 Tbsp butter
50g grated cheddar
100g sour cream
Sauteed onions (see above)
Salt and acidity to taste

Peel and dice the potatoes. Put them into a medium pot. Cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover with a lid, and bring to almost a boil. Remove the lid, salt very generously. Bring all the way to a boil uncovered. Reduce the heat so that they simmer very gently and cook until completely tender when pierced, 2025 min. Drain in a colander. Return to the pot.

Set the pot over medium low heat and cook the potatoes, stirring often to get rid of residual moisture. They’ll leave a bit of a residue on the bottom of the pot. That’s normal, but you don’t want that residue to turn brown. When the potatoes look like they are covered in light fuzz, turn off the pot and add the butter, some black pepper and salt. Mash it in until potatoes are smooth. Mash in the cheddar. Mash in the sour cream. Stir in the cooked onions using a spoon. Taste and correct for salt and acidity. Cool completely. The filling can be made 12 days ahead and refrigerated.

Rolling and shaping:
Watch the video for the details, but here are the highlights.
Roll the dough to the 5th setting (repeating this setting one more time).
Place it on a rice flour covered surface.
Use a 3 inch (7.62cm) cookie cutter to cut the circles
Fill with potatoes and seal tightly
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil and sprinkled with rice flour

Storage:
To refrigerate for up to 4 hours: After the first half hour in the fridge, cover with a towel or plastic wrap. If you notice too much condensation, uncover.
To freeze for up to a few months: Place the baking sheet with varenyky into the freezer uncovered just until they are hard, 12 hours. Immediately, move to a zip lock bag. If they aren’t moved to a zip lock bag promptly, they can dehydrate and crack. Don’t defrost. Cook from frozen.

Brown butter (for 40 varenyky):
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and lemon juice to taste

Set a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and whisk until it melts and the white foam subsides. Cook whisking frequently until the butter is brown. Season with a few drops of lemon juice and salt.


Cooking:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt to taste. Add the varenyky without crowding the pot. An 8 quart pot can handle 40. If you want to cook more, do it in batches. Stir, cover, and return to the boil (this will take longer if they are frozen). Uncover, and cook for 2 minutes if cooking fresh, 3 minutes if cooking frozen. If cooking from frozen, taste one to check that it’s heated through. Remove varenyky with a slotted spoon into a pan with brown butter. Add some fresh butter (about 2 tsp per portion) and gently toss. Serve with sour cream and/or porcini braised cabbage:    • Porcini Braised Cabbage (v 2.0  bet...  

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