Mushroom Pierogi "Uszka"

Course: Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine: Polish

Prep Time: 1 30

Cook Time: 20

Resting time: 30

Total Time: 1 50

Servings:

Calories: 201kcal

Author: Edyta

In Poland Mushroom Pierogi called "Uszka" are traditionally served in Borscht on Christmas Eve. They're made from both dry and fresh mushrooms, and a simple pierogi dough of flour, water, milk, and butter. They're beautiful and easier to make than you'd think.

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Ingredients

Mushroom Filling

1 oz Dry Porcini Mushrooms
16 oz Fresh Mushrooms Baby Bella and White Button, sliced
1 Sweet Onion medium size, chopped
2 tbsp Butter unsalted
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pierogi Dough

3 cups All-purpose Flour
1/2 cup Milk warm
1 tbsp Butter unsalted, melted
3/4 cups Water warm or more if the dough needs it
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Mushroom Filling

Place dry porcini mushrooms into a pot and cover with water. Bring to boil and cook mushrooms for about an hour. Once cooked, you need to use a slotted spoon and gently remove them from the boiling water. Dry mushrooms tend to be very dirty and have a lot of sand, so this is an important step. Most of dirt/sand will fall to the bottom of the pot, but you should also move the mushrooms into coriander and wash them really well under running water. Once cleaned, set them aside.
In a frying pan heat up some butter and add chopped onions. Cook until translucent. In the meantime, clean and slice your fresh mushrooms. Add mushrooms to the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 15 minutes until soft and fully cooked.
In a food processor, combine cooked dry mushrooms with sauteed fresh mushrooms and pulse a few times. Check for seasoning, and salt and pepper as needed. Pulse a few more times. Do not over process the mushrooms! You want to have little pieces of mushrooms in the filling, as opposed to a paste. Set aside.

Pierogi Dough

Attach a dough hook to your mixer. Add flour into the bowl. Add melted butter and warm milk, and then start mixing on low speed.
Start adding warm water a little bit at the time. For 3 cups of flour, you should use 1/2 cup of milk and approximately 3/4 cups of water. But sometimes the flour absorbs more moisture and you will need to add more water. In the end, your dough should be elastic and not sticky to the bowl.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for half hour.
Divide your dough into four pieces. Flour your working surface and place 1/4 of the dough on it. Cover the rest of the dough with plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it's thin but not see-through.

Assembling Pierogi

Using a 1.5 inch in diameter glass, (ie. a shot glass), cut out the rounds from the dough.
Working with one circle at the time, add 1/2 teaspoon of filling in the middle, wet one half of the circle and cover it to meet the other side of the circle. Stick the edges together.
Grab the opposite endings of the pierogi and stick them together to create an "ear" shape dumpling.
Continue with the rest of the dough and filling.
Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt it generously and add no more than 10 pierogi at the time. Boil for about 2 minutes once they come to the surface.
Remove pierogi to a dry surface (cutting board or cookie sheet) in a way that they don't touch each other.
If serving immediately, place pierogi in bowls and cover with borscht.

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