The traditional perogie is given a twist with a different savoury filling in this take on an Eastern European staple.

 

Potato and Horseradish Dumplings

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Dumplings

  • 3 cups AP flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup water
  • salt

Filling

  • 2 large russet potatoes
  • 1 tbsp fresh grated horseradish
  • 2 tbsp butter, unsalted
  • 3 tbsp full fat cottage cheese
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 1 tbsp chopped basil
  • Salt and white pepper

Instructions:

For dumplings:

  1. Add the flour to the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add a pinch of salt and turn mixer on low speed.
  2. Add the egg and allow to combine. Add just enough water to make a firm dough, mix until smooth.
  3. Wrap in plastic and rest in the fridge for 3 hours.

For filling:

  1. Scrub the potatoes under cold water and dry.
  2. Rub with salt and bake at 375C for 45 minutes. Foam the butter and pull from the heat and add the garlic. Keep warm.
  3. Scoop out the flesh of the potatoes and keep the skins from the potato broth. Rice the potato flesh into a bowl and cover with a tea towel.
  4. Add the garlic butter and cottage cheese to the riced potato and mix well with a rubber spatula.
  5. Season with salt and pepper and allow the mixture to come to room temperature before adding the basil and horseradish.

 

Roasted Potato Broth

Ingredients:

  • Skins from the potatoes for dumpling filling
  • 350ml chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp Tamari
  • salt

Instructions:

  1. Roast the potato skins on 325C for one hour or until deep brown. Allow to cool.
  2. Crush potato skins and cover with warm stock. Allow the skins to cool in the stock and strain. Refrigerate until needed.
  3. Roll out the dough thinly and cut into 3" round with a cookie cutter. A soup tin or water glass may be used as well.
  4. Place a 2 tsp ball of filling in the center of the dough. Fold over the dough and seal the edges well. Cook the dumplings in boiling salted water.
  5. Allow the dumplings to cook for three minutes after they rise to the surface.
  6. While the dumplings are cooking warm the stock and dress the onions lightly with the vinaigrette. Season with a pinch of sea salt. Be careful, a little goes a long way.
  7. Place 3 dumplings in a bowl and flood the bottom with the broth. Finish the salad with half of the tarragon leaves. Place the salad on top of the dumpling and finish with a few more of the tarragon leaves.

 

Sweet Onion salad and vinaigrette

Ingredients:

  • 1 Maui Onion, sliced thin
  • ½ lemon juice only
  • 3 tbsp cold pressed hemp seed oil or any cold or first press nut oil
  • 2 tbsp toasted hemp seeds
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ bunch tarragon picked
  • sea salt

Instructions:

  1. Combine lemon juice and Dijon. Slowly whisk in the nut oil of choice, a pinch of salt and set aside.
  2. Toast the hemp seeds or nuts in a dry frying pan. Set aside.
  3. Peel and slice the onion as thin as possible, a mandolin works best but a srap knife is fine. If you can’t find a Maui onion, a Vidalia or Spanish onion will do.
  4. Cover with a tea towel and refrigerate.