Since many of you ´ve been asking me for this recipe,I decided to post it on my blog,right here(even i don´t have any proper pictures,but i try to explain procedure very promptly)Pirohy-traditional Slovak dish,is sort of dumplings filled with cheese,meet or whatever you have :D They are very similar to Italian ravioli or tortellini and in Russia they call them pelmene/pelmeni.
They can be prepared so many different ways,so there is not really an universal recipe.The base is a potato dough filled with cheese,but you can experiment by adding a bacon,minced meat or quad. In Slovakia,pirohy are filled with sheep cheese called bryndza-which is a typical Slovak product.I would compare it to Italian ricotta or Greek feta but I couldn´t show-up in my country for a long time :D Despite,i was trying to use feta instead of ´bryndza´once-didn´t work.
Ingredients:
for the dough:
* 5 medium potatoes(you will definately need those with more starch like salad potatoes)
* 500g all purpose flour+some extra
* 2 eggs
* 2 tb spoons of oil/butter
* salt
for the filling:
* 200g minced meat
* 100g bacon(small pieces)
* onion
* egg
For a sweet filling you will need quark,sugar and lemon zest-combined,preparation is the same ;)
Preparation:
1. Boil potatoes until soft,let them cool down.Meanwhile prepare the filling:roast the onion,then add bacon
and minced meat-when ready,set aside.
2. When potatoes are cold,grate them very smooth so you get texture similar to thick mashed potatoes.In a
large bowl,combine potatoes+eggs and start adding a flour little by little until the dough is not sticky.On
a floured surface, knead dough 3 or 4 minutes or until elastic.Cover dough with plastic wrap and
refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
3. On a lightly floured surface,roll out the dough to a 2-3mm thickness.using a round cutter,cut the dough.
Gather scraps,cover with plastic wrap and set aside.Using a teaspoon,portion filling(combined meat
mixture with one egg) on every dough circle.
4. With clean, dry hands, fold dough over filling to create a half-moon shape. Press edges
together, sealing and crimping with your fingers (or use a fork) as for a pie.
*If dough is dry, moisten edges with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water) before
pressing edges together. Roll, cut and fill reserved scraps.
5. Bring a deep pot of salted water to boil,reduce the heat and drop 10 pieces at a time to a water.Stir
immediately,so they don´t stick to the bottom.When they rise to the surface,boil 3 minutes more,or until
dough is done.
6. Remove with a slotted spoon to a platter that has been smeared with butter(Pirohy wont stick together)
Repeat until all pirohy are cooked.Serve with sour cream,roasted onion or confectioners´sugar-for sweet
filling
*my pirohy filled with cheese,served with sour cream,roasted bacon and Viennese onion
*sweet variant filled with quark
