Pierogi or pirogen, dough pockets stuffed with cheese, potato, or vegetable filling, are a beloved and traditional Polish dish. The pierogi are delicious fried with additional onions and served with sour cream.

Dough:

Mix egg, flour, and water, add salt, and knead dough until it forms an elastic ball. Roll out to about 1/8 inch thickness and cut into 3 inch squares.

Potato Stuffing: 4 6 potatoes 1 onion 2 tbsp butter 1/4 cup farmer's cheese salt and pepper to taste

Peel potatoes, cook, and mash. Saute onion in butter until soft. Mix potatoes and onions together with cheese and season to taste.

Sauerkraut Stuffing: 3/4 pound sauerkraut 2 3 tbsp oil or bacon fat 1 onion, minced 2 tbsp dried black mushrooms, softened salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion in oil or bacon fat until transparent. Add mushrooms, sauerkraut, and fry until some of the sauerkraut becomes golden brown. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Assembling Pierogi: Take one square of dough and place one teaspoon of filling in center. Fold and pinch to seal. Cook in boiling water with a little oil until they rise to the surface. Drain and cool on waxed paper. (At this point the pierogi can be refrigerated or frozen.) When ready to serve, fry pierogi with onions until golden brown and serve with melted butter or sour cream.