Ingredients
FOR THE FILLING
Green cabbage: 10 lbs (trimmed and cored)
Cream cheese: 2 8-oz packages
Unsalted butter: 1/2 stick (room temperature)
Salt and freshly ground pepper: to taste
FOR THE DOUGH
Egg: 1 (slightly beaten)
Milk: 1 cup
Water: 1 cup
Sour cream: 3 tbsp
Flour: 4.5-5 cups
From Entertaining Copyright © 1982 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, LP. Photography by Michael Skott unless otherwise noted. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group.)
Of all the Polish dishes I love, my very favorite is cabbage pierogi. I have consumed up to 20 of these delectable dumplings at one sitting, to the amazement of my family. The sweet cabbage filling is time-consuming to make, but well worth the effort.
How to make Cabbage Pierogi
01.
Mixing the Dough
- Cut the cabbages into quarters.
- Steam until very tender, approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
- Drain and cool.
- In a strong but thin linen towel, squeeze as much of the liquid from the steamed cabbage as possible.
- Squeeze only a small handful at a time.
- Discard the juice.
02.
Turning Dough Onto Floured Board
- Grind the squeezed cabbage with the fine blade of a meat grinder.
- Add the cream cheese and softened butter and season highly with salt and pepper.
- Set aside.
03.
Kneading Dough Until Smooth and Elastic
- To make the dough, whisk the egg, milk, water, and sour cream together.
- Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic.
- This may take 10 minutes.
- Add as little additional flour as possible.
04.
Rolling Dough for Cutting
- Put the ball of dough under an inverted bowl until ready to use.
05.
Using a Glass to Cut Dough Into Rounds
- To make the pierogi, cut the dough into 4 pieces.
- On a floured board roll one piece of dough into a round ¹⁄₁₆ inch thick.
- Keep rest of dough covered.
- With a cookie cutter or glass tumbler (2½ to 3 inches in diameter), cut the dough into rounds.
06.
Placing Filling in the Center of Each Dough Round
- For each pierogi take 1 round of dough, stretch it a bit with your fingers, and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cabbage onto the center.
07.
Pinching Edges Together With Thumb and Forefinger
- Fold the circle in half and press the edges together.
- I crimp the edges with my fingertips into a decorative pattern.
- Be sure to seal the edges well or the filling may fall out during cooking.
- Put finished dumplings on a towel or tray that has been lightly sprinkled with cornmeal.
- Continue rolling dough until all the filling has been used up.
08.
The Finished Pierogi Set on a Tray Sprinkled With Cornmeal
- Bring a very large kettle of water to the boil.
- Add 1 tablespoon salt to the water and cook about 20 pierogis at one time in simmering water until they are tender and float (about 5 to 6 minutes).
- Remove to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and dribble with butter.
- Leftover pierogi can be reheated in the oven, or on top of the stove in a heavy skillet.
