Nettle Potato and Dill Pierogi

Makes about 50 individual pierogi dumplings.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Polish

Keyword pierogi

Prep Time 5 hours

Cook Time 8 minutes

Ingredients

Nettle Pierogi Filling

2 cups fresh nettle leaves stems removed
2 yellow onions finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound russet potatoes peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
8 ounces chevre
8 ounces cottage cheese
1 ounces fresh dill finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
Black pepper to taste

Pierogi Dough

3 1/3 cups plus 3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 small eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
3/4 cup plus 1 to 2 teaspoons lukewarm water

For Serving

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup of the caramelized onions
1 ounce fresh dill finely chopped

Instructions

Nettle Pierogi Filling

The filling can be made a day ahead of time and left covered in the refrigerator overnight.
Make sure to use gloves when handling the raw nettle leaves. Blanche the nettle leaves in lightly salted boiling water for 90 seconds, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Squeeze the nettle leaves between the palms of your hands, pressing them together over a sink to get all the extra water out of them (this is very important, we don't want the filling to be too wet!) Set the squeezed nettle aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the onions and the salt and stir until coated in the hot oil. Cook until softened and translucent, stirring every few minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium low and continue cooking until the onions are lightly golden, about 30 to 40 minutes more, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Reserve 1/4 cup of the caramelized onions for serving, and use the remaining for the filling.
While the onions are cooking, boil the potatoes in a medium-sized pot of lightly salted boiling water until tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool to room temperature and dry out a bit.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the potatoes and the nettle until the potatoes are coarsely mashed and the nettles are chopped. Alternately, you can mash the potatoes by hand and finely chop the cooked nettle and then stir them together.
In a large bowl, stir together the chevre and cottage cheese until combined. Add the potato mixture, the filling portion of the caramelized onions, the dill, and the garlic and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste as you like.
Divide the filling into 50 equal-sized ovals, shape and size similar to a medjool date. If you have a kitchen scale this is easier, just measure the total weight of the filling in grams and divide that by 50. So for example, I ended up with 960 grams of filling total, which makes for about 20 grams per oval. Place them on a large baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper, and refrigerate them uncovered while you make the dough.

Pierogi Dough

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the cracked eggs and the butter. Start stirring with a wooden spoon while slowly adding the water until incorporated. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead the dough until elastic and smooth, about 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky you can add a touch more flour, but don't over-add otherwise the dough will be too firm.
Divide the dough into 4 parts and form each into rough oval shapes, cover 3 of the portions and set them aside. Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface until it is very thin, about 3mm. Cut out 12 to 13 circles (very close together) with a 3.25" round cookie cutter or jar lid.
Pick up one of the circle of dough and place a filling mound in the center. Fold the dough over it like a half moon, and pinch the edges together, pushing down on the filling with your finger as-needed to keep the filling inside the pierogi so it doesn't touch the edges. Crimp the edges by making folds as seen in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO5QnIVABdQ
Place the pierogi on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining 3.25" circle cut-outs of dough, and then repeat with the remaining 3 portions of dough.
If you want to freeze some for a future quick + tasty meal, lay them out in a baking sheet, not touching, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap, and place them in the freezer overnight. Then you can take them off the baking pan once they're frozen and toss them in a resealable container or plastic bag and seal it tight and keep it in the freezer to cook + consume within 1 year.

Boiling + Serving the Pierogi

To prepare, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pierogi and stir *gently* while they cook to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Once the pierogi rise to the top of the pot, allow them to cook for 2 minutes more before transferring them with a slotted spoon to a plate. Toss the cooked pierogi with a tablespoon of butter, the caramelized onions, and the dill, and enjoy!