Crispy-baked pierogi stuffed with pork and pine nuts

Crispy pierogi are not a common dumpling, but they are a great alternative to uszka with clear red borscht and also work well with zurek. You should eat these on the side of soups, so that they retain their crunchy consistency. Baked pierogi require a slightly different dough, similar to that of the famous Russian kulebiak, which is just one massive ornately decorated dumpling.

Crispy-baked pierogi Credit: Hardie Grant Books

• serves

  4

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

For the dough

• 350 g (12 oz/scant 3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 150 g (5 oz/1⅔ sticks) salted butter, softened
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 100 ml (3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup) ice-cold water
• beaten egg yolk, to glaze

For the filling

• 200 g (7 oz) minced (ground) pork
• 50 g (1¾ oz/½ cup) pine nuts, toasted
• 1 egg
• salt and white pepper, to taste

Resting time 30 minutes

Instructions

Tip the flour into a bowl and add the butter and oil. Work into the flour using your hands for a few minutes, then add the ice-cold water, a little at a time. Start kneading until it comes together into a smooth ball. Knead for a further 3–4 minutes then place in a plastic food bag in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas 6) and lightly grease a baking tray.

To make the filling, combine the pork mince, pine nuts, egg and seasoning together in a bowl, using your hands.

Roll out your dough as thinly as possible on a floured surface.

Use the pierogi method below, filling them with the pork and pine nut mixture.

Place the pierogi on the baking tray and brush with a beaten egg yolk to glaze. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Recipes and images from Polska: New Polish Cooking by Zuza Zak (Hardie Grant Books, $45, hbk).

View our Readable feasts review and more recipes from the book here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.