Pierogi or 'Polish ravioli' recipe (2024)

My great grandfather Dimitri made a huge wooden board (stolnica) for his daughter, my grandmother Józefa, just for making pierogi. It was a very generous size, covering half the kitchen table, and had beautifully carved raised edges so you could roll out pastry dough without spilling flour onto the floor. When Józefa put it on the table and started to sprinkle it with flour, I knew she would be making my favourite meal – pierogi.

This recipe makes about 120 pierogi, which sounds a lot, but if you have a big family or more than a couple of hungry friends they will all soon disappear. Any leftovers are delicious re-fried in a little butter the next day.

To make the pastry for 120 pierogi

1kg (1lb 3oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
125g (4½ oz) unsalted butter
500ml (17 fl oz) warm water

Soften the butter in the microwave or by leaving it out of the fridge for a while.

Pile the flour onto a large wooden board, then slowly work in the butter with your fingers.

Mix in the warm water, little by little, to make an elastic, soft dough.

Place it in a bowl and cover with a clean tea or dish towel so it doesn't dry out while you are preparing the filling.

Roll out a lump of pastry dough on the wooden board – not too thick or thin – 3 mm (1/8 in) is good.

Pierogi or 'Polish ravioli' recipe (1)

Using an inverted tumbler, cut out circles about 8 cm (3 ½ in) in diameter and lay them on a floured wooden board, again covering with a tea or dish towel until you are ready to fill them.

For pierogi with beef filling

Pierogi or 'Polish ravioli' recipe (2)

2 onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 kg (4lb 7oz) beef ribs
½ bunch curly leaf parsley, chopped
500ml (1 pint) water
2 stale bread rolls
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat the oven to 160C (325F).

Fry half the onion, the parsley and carrots in a heavy bottomed oven proof saucepan. Add the water and beef ribs, then put the lid on the pan and bake in the oven for 1 hour.

Allow the pan to cool a little before removing the bones and discarding them, taking care to keep all the meat. Soften the bread rolls in some water, squeeze them dry, then stir into the mixture so they soak up the thick gravy. Put the mix through a mincer.

Fry the remaining onion in a pan with the butter until it is translucent. Stir in the minced beef mixture and fry for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Pierogi or 'Polish ravioli' recipe (3)

Take the prepared circles of pastry dough and place a teaspoon of filling on each. Fold them in half and carefully close them, crimping the pastry together with your fingers so you end up with little semi-circles.

Put the pierogi into a big pot of boiling water with half a teaspoon of salt. The moment they float to the top (which will not take more than a minute) take them out carefully with a slotted spoon to allow them to drain.

If desired, fry for a couple of minutes in a little butter till they are brown and crisp.

Sweet pierogi with sour cherries (pierogi z wiśniami)

Pierogi or 'Polish ravioli' recipe (4)

Pierogi can be made as a sweet "dessert" dish, with fresh summer fruits for the filling: strawberries, raspberries, cherries and blueberries. This recipe is for sour cherries, you can use normal cherries (and a bit less sugar) if you prefer.

To make the pastry for 60 pierogi:

500g (1lb 2oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
60g (2oz) unsalted butter
250ml (½ pint) warm water

Soften the butter in the microwave or by leaving it out of the fridge for a while. Pile the flour onto a large wooden board, then slowly work in the butter with your hands. Add the warm water, little by little, to make a soft, elastic dough. Place it in a bowl and cover with a clean tea or dish towel so it doesn't dry out while you are preparing the filling.

Roll out the pastry on the wooden board – about 3mm (1/8 in) is good. Cut out circles roughly 8cm (3 in) in diameter using an inverted tumbler and lay them on a floured wooden board.

To make the cherry filling:

500g (1lb 2oz) ripe sour cherries
100g (4oz) caster (superfine) sugar (50g if using sweet cherries)
whipped cream to serve

Wash and stone the cherries before chopping and mashing them together with a little sugar. Depending on how ripe your cherries are, you will probably need all 100g (4oz) of sugar, but if they are well-ripened and quite sweet less will suffice.

Pierogi or 'Polish ravioli' recipe (5)

Place a teaspoon of the sour-cherry filling on each circle of pastry, fold it in half and carefully close it, crimping the pastry together at the edges with your fingers.

Throw the pierogi into a big pot of boiling water. Cook for a couple of minutes then take them out and allow to drain.

Serve with whipped cream and caster (superfine) sugar.

Pierogi or 'Polish ravioli' recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is pierogi dough the same as ravioli dough? ›

What is the difference between pierogi and ravioli: Ravioli are Italian dumplings, that are wrapped in pasta dough (this dough must contain eggs and is more rich and tough). Italian fillings also differ from traditional pierogi fillings.

Is pierogi Russian or Polish? ›

pierogi, one or more dumplings of Polish origin, made of unleavened dough filled with meat, vegetables, or fruit and boiled or fried or both. In Polish pierogi is the plural form of pieróg (“dumpling”), but in English the word pierogi is usually treated as either singular or plural.

What is the difference between Ukrainian and Polish perogies? ›

These stuffed dumplings are common throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Varenyky is the more commonly used term in Ukraine, often eaten with sweet fillings, while pierogi are the national dish of Poland.

Do Polish people boil perogies? ›

And that's precisely what pierogi are: delicious boiled pastry parcels filled to the brim with all sorts of yummy things: cheese and potato, sauerkraut and mushrooms, meat, spinach, lentils, sweetened farmer's cheese or berries.

What store-bought dough can I use for pierogies? ›

Any 3- to 4-inch round ready-to-cook dough will work; wonton wrappers are a good option, but frozen (and thawed) empanada wrappers, which I've found at Kroger, are even better.

What is the best flour for pierogies? ›

Monika starts with boiling water and a specialty flour called Maka Puszysta, a very fine flour made just for pierogi dough. If you don't have a Polish grocery nearby, Monika suggests using extra fine flour (like Italian "00" flour used for pasta-making) as a substitute, as long as there are no additives.

What state eats the most pierogies? ›

T's Pierogies, the "Pierogy Pocket of America," is an area including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Chicago, Detroit, parts of the northern Midwest and southern New England which accounts for 68% of annual U.S. pierogi consumption.

What do Polish people call pierogi? ›

Polish pierogi are often filled with fresh quark, boiled and minced potatoes, and fried onions. This type is known in Polish as pierogi ruskie ("Ruthenian pierogi").

What is the Ukrainian word for pierogies? ›

The word 'varenyky' comes from the Ukrainian word 'varyty´ or 'to boil' because this product is cooked in boiling water. This comfort food is spelled many different ways: pyrohy, pyrogy, pyrogie, pierogi, perogi and others.

How do Polish pronounce pierogi? ›

Under the influence of the letter i, the consonants p- and -g- have a slightly 'iotised' quality that is difficult to convey to English-speakers unless you speak a Slavic language yourself - hence the slightly more accurate rendering of the pronunciation as P(y)EE-eh-ROH-g(y)ee.

Are perogies better boiled or pan fried? ›

Whether you cook your pierogies by traditional boil and sauté, or an unconventional but equally delicious flame-cooked grill—you'll bring smiles to the table with Mrs. T's Pierogies. If you have the time, boil the frozen pierogies first, to get the pasta perfect for sautéing.

What is the most popular pierogi in Poland? ›

Ruskie pierogi are probably the most popular kind of pierogi in North America and Poland. The other popular pierogi in Poland are filled with ground meat, mushrooms and cabbage, or for dessert an assortment of fruits (berries, with strawberries or blueberries the most common).

What is the national dish of Poland? ›

Bigos stew is the national dish of Poland. It can be made with any kind of meat from pork to rabbit or venison, but should always have spicy Polish sausage.

What is the most popular Polish dish? ›

Pierogi. Pierogi are filled dumplings containing either meat, vegetables, cheese, fruit or chocolate. Pierogi is undoubtedly Poland's most famous and simple comfort food. But after tasting one of these delicious filled dumplings, you're likely to find yourself craving more.

Do Polish people eat pierogies with sour cream? ›

Traditionally all the pierogis are served with sour cream, and for the savoury ones finely chopped bacon, onions and parsley are also added. Sour cream is a common table condiment at the Polish dinner table; it's poured over literally everything!

What's the difference between dumpling dough and ravioli dough? ›

Dumpling dough is softer due to the lack of eggs which act as a binder. Think of eggs as a structural support beam, allowing you to put the dough through more. It gives the ravioli more “bite” or “bounce” versus a dumpling.

What's the difference between pierogies and dumpling dough? ›

What they taste like: Pierogis are heartier and heftier than Asian dumplings like gyoza and Chinese potstickers. The dumpling wrapper is thicker and the filling is often rich. The dumpling itself is also bigger and heavier, and often topped with a sauce of melted butter.

What is traditional pierogi dough made of? ›

This recipe is a simple combination of flour, eggs, water, and salt. You might need to add a little more water or a little more flour based on the humidity of the day, the weight of the flour, and other factors. The dough should not be so dry it is crumbly or so wet it is sticky.

What is ravioli dough made of? ›

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, making a well in the middle. In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, egg yolks and olive oil, then pour into the well in the flour. Mix with the fork until the flour begins to clump together. When the mixture becomes too hard to stir with a fork, use your hands.

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