Like the star on our tree?
Last year we couldn't find gluten free pierogi for our Christmas Eve dinner. It was our first year dealing with gluten issues and we really didn't know what we were doing! I asked the "Silly Yaks" list, which has been a wonderful source of information, which led to this recipe, which I continue to tweak. If you know more about gf pierogi than I do, please drop me a line and let me know any tips. I'll surely appreciate it!
This is a wonderful team-building experience for the holidays!
Try making pierogi with your gluten free loved one!
HH's Gluten Free Pierogi (makes about 2 dozen)
1. Make your filling:
Take 2 lbs of potatoes and boil them until soft. Drain.
Mash them with ~6 oz of sharp cheddar cheese
and some salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.
The mixture will be stiff.
Set it aside.
2. Make your dough:
Put in your heavy duty mixer:
2 cups Bob's Red Mill GF flour blend,
1 cup rice flour,
2 tsp xanthan gum, and
1 tsp salt.
Blend these dry ingredients.
Add 2 beaten eggs and blend.
Add about 2/3 cup of cold water in a thin stream, blending all the while.
You want to just add enough water to get the mixture dough-like.
I needed just an extra tablespoon or so for this year's batch.
3. Assemble the pierogi:
Put the dough on a plate, covered with a damp cloth.
Have ready:
The plate, the dough, and a damp cloth,
lots of counter space,
lots of wax paper,
(Note from 12/2011: A silicone mat was very helpful to roll the dough on!)
a full can of cooking spray,
your rolling pin,
your dough,
a knife for lopping off pieces of dough to roll,
a 4-inch diameter crumpet ring,
a spatula for picking up your circles of dough,
your filling,
a plate to do the filling on,
a teaspoon for putting on the filling,
a fork for sealing, and
a platter to put the pierogi on.
Roll out the dough
between two pieces of wax paper sprayed with cooking spray,
to "pasta thickness."
You will need to frequently change the wax paper and spray it each time.
Cut out 4-inch circles with the crumpet ring.
Pass this to your pierogi partner who will fill it.
The pierogi partner places a small amount of filling near the center of the circle
and then folds the circle in half,
sealing the edges with a fork.
4. Take a break:
Eat up the remaining mashed potato mixture for lunch or a snack.
5. Cook the pierogi:
Heat up your cast iron skillet. Have a pair of TONGS ready. Do not use a spatula.
These are slippery little devils! (Ask how I know.....)
Using a combination of olive oil and butter, saute the pierogi until brown.
(This year I used some Earth Balance margarine.)
(I have previously been afraid to boil these, figuring it is safer to brown them in the pan to keep them from falling apart! In 12/2011, however, I boiled a few for 3-5 minutes, or until they float, and they were fine!)
6. Cook up onions:
Chop up 1-2 onions.
Saute these in olive oil/butter, also!
7. Layer your dish.
Layer the cooked pierogi in a microwaveable dish
with sauteed onions, and
a little bit of water.
Another idea is to layer it in a small crock pot if you only need to hold it a few hours.
In general, heat up when you are ready to eat them, unless you are eating them right away.
Don't omit the water! The pierogi will be hard without it, especially if you are using a crock pot.
Another idea is to layer it in a small crock pot if you only need to hold it a few hours.
Here are some photos:
