Pierogi Recipe from Polish pop-up Beksa Lala

It’s officially fall, and as the weather gets cooler, these pierogi from the pop-up Beksa Lala are sure to fill and warm you up.

Beksa Lala is a Polish pop-up from Basia Piechoczek. The pop-up is named for Piechoczek’s childhood nickname (Beksa Lala means “crybaby” in Polish), and serves up tasty Polish classics, including pierogi.

Pierogi are Polish dumplings, in this case filled with savory potatoes and cheese. Sound good? Why not try making your own at home? Keep scrolling for the full recipe.

Beska Lala Pierogi Recipe:

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 2 eggs
• 1 c sour cream
• ½ tsp salt
• 4.5 c AP flour
• 1 stick softened butter

Filling:

• 3 lbs yellow/ golden potatoes
• 1 lb farmer cheese OR ½ lb farmer cheese + ½ lb smoked hard cheese shredded*
• 1 large grated yellow onion
• 2 tbsp butter
• Fresh Cracked Pepper not to your taste, but enough that you can taste it. It must play with other ingredients, not support them.
• 1.5 tbsp Vegeta (found in Slavic stores, or online. Substitute your fave vegetable based AP seasoning)
• Salt, until the dough is bright enough

*Farmer’s cheese (aka twaróg) can be found at Slavic stores, or possibly at farmers markets or if you’re lucky, Publix. But if you’re in a pinch, drain some small curd cottage cheese. Just make sure you buy a little more than called for since you’ll be losing some volume. Adding in a smoked hard cheese is not traditional at all, just adds some depth to the flavor. You can smoke the twaróg, but the 50-50 ratio works well.

Directions:

Dough:

1. In a stand mixer with a dough hook, blend eggs, sour cream, and salt together.
2. Add the flour in batches.
3. When the flour is incorporated but not totally smooth yet, add butter a tablespoon at a time.
4. Let the batch work for 5 minutes, then let it rest for at least 30 minutes before using.
5. Can refrigerate for up to 4 days, make sure to bring it back to room temperature before using.

Filling:

1. Peel and boil potatoes until very soft, about 25-30 minutes. Drain, but keep in large pot.
2. In a small pan, melt butter and sauté grated onion until it’s not pungent, but not totally cooked.
3. To the potatoes add onions and rest of the ingredients and mash until the filling is like mashed potatoes.
4. Let cool before using. You can refrigerate the filling for about 5 days.

Assembly:

1. Need rolling pin and large ring mold. Roll out dough until it is a little translucent, but sturdy. Cut out circles with ring mold.
2. Set circles aside, maybe 6 – 12 at a time so the dough doesn’t dry out. Circles will constrict slightly, which means you’ve got great gluten!
3. Take a circle and gently stretch it out again with a rolling pin. Place a dollop of filling (1-1.5 tbsp) in the center of the circle.
4. Without lifting the dough entirely, lift one side of the circle and stretch over the filling, essentially folding the dough in half. Seal the dough, starting closest to the filling then out toward the border. This helps eliminate air bubbles.
5. Press down on the pierogi slightly to flatten it and stretch out the dough.
6. NOW, lift the pierogi and pinch the border again to ensure a strong seal. You can practice fancy folds or even press a fork against it.
7. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper lightly misted with cooking spray. Cover with a tea towel while assembling more. Freeze or cook batches immediately.

Cook:

Boiled : Bring a large pot to a boil with 5 qt salted water. Drop in pierogi and boil until pierogi float. Drain and serve immediately with sautéed onions and crumbled bacon.

Fried: Heat (at medium) a nonstick pan with cooking oil. Fry pierogi on one side until golden brown, then flip and do the same. Remove and serve immediately with sautéed onions and crumbled bacon.

Air Fried: Place pierogi on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper lightly misted with cooking spray. Air fry at 400 degrees for 4 minutes until golden, flip and fry at 375 degrees for 2 minutes. Remove and serve immediately with sautéed onions and crumbled bacon.

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