Culinary Travel: Poland

Both Norwegian churches "stavkirke" and wooden churches of the south Poland are the oldest complex of temples in Europe. Some of the churches situated in Małopolska and Podkarpacie regions were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2003. Sacral structures are built in different styles - from gothic to baroque. The oldest one - medieval church in Haczów - dates back to the 14th century. 

Pierogi are probably the only Polish dish that has its own patron saint. "Swiety Jacek z pierogami!", (St. Hyacinth and his pierogi!) is an old expression of surprise, roughly equivalent to the American "good grief" or "holy smokes!". The origin of this expression is unknown. 

Pierogi

Dough
Ingredients:
3 cups of wheat flour (all-purpose)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of boiling water
1/4 cup of cold water
1/2 teaspoon of oil

takes 30-40 min - makes30 pierogi

Instructions:
Pour 3 cups of wheat flour into the bowl. Pour the flour through a sieve to separate any lumps and in order to aerate the flour. Thanks to the latter, your pierogi dough will be softer and more delicate in flavor. Then add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Pour 3/4 cup of boiling water into the bowl, while vigorously stirring the mixture with a fork or wooden spoon. At this stage, it is normal that lumps of flour will form and surface – crumble them down with the fork. Cover the bowl with a cotton cloth and set aside for about 5 minutes.

After 5 min, add a 1/4 cup of cold water, stir, and crumble down the lumps (if any). Once again cover the pierogi dough with a cotton cloth, but this time set is aside for 15 minutes.

After 15 min, add 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil (canola, sunflower or olive oil). Knead the pierogi dough until it becomes a smooth and uniform mass. In general, it takes 5 to 10 minutes. When finished, the pierogi dough should be homogeneous, stretchy and a bit adhesive.

Now, the dough is ready to prepare pierogi. Flour the pastry board. Roll out the dough until you reach the thickness of about one-tenth of an inch (2-3 millimeters). Remember that one side of the dough should remain clean. You want it to cling on to itself while folding pierogi.

Cut circles out of the pierogi dough by using a cup. Place the filling in the middle of every circle and fold it to form pierogi.

Collect scraps of pierogi dough, knead again, roll out and repeat steps 5-7.

Meat Filling 
Ingredients:
1/2 pound of boneless beef
3 carrots
1 parsley
1 leek
half stalk of celery
1 onion
butter or oil for frying
1 roll
parsley leaves
two eggs
salt & pepper
pierogi dough
crackling or fried onion

takes 1 1/2 hours

Instructions:
Wash 0.5 kg of beef without the bone. Put in salted water. Cook, until the meat softens.

Prepare vegetables: peel and cut into small stripes three carrots, one parsley, one leek and half stalk of celery. Throw this vegetables into stock with meat and leave gently cooking on half an hour. 

While the meat is being cooked with vegetables peel onion and cut it into cubes.

Fry onion on the frying pan with the addition of butter, until it lightly browns.

Take the meat out of stock and tear into smaller pieces.

Put one roll into the bowl and fill with stock. Wait a while, as far as the roll will become soaked. Then take it out of the bowl, drain and add to the meat. Add  fried onion and precisely mix everything.

Grind the blend of onion, meat and roll in a meat mincer.

Chop parsley and add to stuffing.

Break two raw eggs into a meat mixture.

Add salt and black pepper. Mix. Season to taste.

If your stuffing is too dry add some stock.

Now arrange this stuffing with teaspoon on pierogi dough circles and carefully glue the dough, forming pierogi.

Cook pierogi in salted water. After floating to the surface cook until they become soft. Then take out of water.

Pan-fry the cooked pierogi. Use butter or sunflower oil. Fry pierogi from both sides - from time to time turning from side to side. Fry pierogi, until become browned from both sides.

Lay pierogi on plates. To make the dish more tasty sprinkle pierogi with crackling prepared in the meantime, or use  fried onion. Many people like to eat meat filled pierogi with ketchup, mustard or other nice sauces. You can try it, but it is worthwhile knowing that such a way of eating isn't truly traditional.

If you have a taste for culinary travel, let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you plan your next vacation and all of your other reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

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6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona 85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
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