Asiago Pierogi with Shallot Thyme Butter Sauce

Basil & Thyme’s very first recipe!

I chose to start this blog with Pierogi because not only are Pierogi one of my favorite meals, but it’s also the first dish I ever made entirely from scratch on my own. I have always spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my mother and grandmother, but when I first started cooking on my own I tended to stick to simple dishes, filled with lots of canned goods, packaged seasoning, and boxed meals (think lots of tacos and boxed mac and cheese).

After I graduated college and moved back in with my parents while I looked for full-time employment, I started to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. After a trip to Pittsburgh, where I tried this amazing dish for the first time, I decided to try my hand at making these delicious Polish dumplings myself. Needless to say, my Polish grandfather was very proud.

Without further ado, here is a take on the dish that sparked my love for creating delicious-ness in the kitchen.

What You’ll Need

Pierogi are super simple, and you’ll only need a few ingredients: flour, butter, salt, eggs, sour cream, and cheese. To add my own flair to these pierogi, I’m adding garlic, thyme and shallots to the sauce.

Getting Started

First, peel and dice the potatoes, then add to a pot of salted water, and boil until soft and easily pierced with a fork (yes, you are just making mashed potatoes here)

Make the Dough

Meanwhile, mix the flour and salt, then mix in the egg until the dough is clumpy.

Next, mix in the sour cream, and 1/4 cup of softened butter until a sticky dough forms. Once combined, turn out the dough onto a floured surface, then knead until the dough is no longer sticky.

Roll the dough until it is about 1/8″ thick, then use a 2″ biscuit cutter to cut out small rounds of dough. If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, you can use a glass, or small mixing bowl to cut the rounds. You can re-roll the excess dough to create more rounds. Repeat the process until no dough remains.

Finish the Filling

Once the potatoes are cooked, mash them with a potato masher or hand mixer. Add in the cheese, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1/4 cup of butter, and a pinch of salt and pepper, mix until well combined.

Assembling the Pierogi

Place a teaspoon of filling on each round of dough, then, using your finger, rub a small amount of water on half of the edge of the dough (this will help create a seal)

Next, fold the dough over, and pinch to seal. Use the edge of a fork to “crimp” the pierogi closed. The pierogi should look like little half-moons. Be careful to get all the filling inside the dough, and make sure there are no gaps in the seal.

Keep going until all the rounds are filled.

Cook the Pierogi

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add pierogi and cook until they float, about 1-2 minutes, working in batches if needed.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat, and sear the cooked pierogi until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes per side, working in batches if needed. Set aside on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Make the Shallot Thyme Butter Sauce

Peel, halve and thinly slice the shallots, and remove the thyme leaves from their stems.

Return the skillet used to sear the pierogi to medium high heat, add the remaining 1/2 cup of butter and melt. Add in the shallots and and cook until beginning to caramelize, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about another minute or two. Toss the pierogi in the sauce, serve with sour cream and garnish with more thyme if desired.

Asiago Pierogi with Shallot Thyme Butter Sauce

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 45 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened & divided
• 1 egg
• Salt & Pepper
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup shredded Asiago Cheese
• 2 shallots
• Olive Oil
• 5-6 medium russet potatoes
• 10 sprigs of thyme

Instructions

1. Peel and dice potatoes, add to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are soft and easily pierced with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, make the dough. Mix flour and salt, then mix in egg until the dough is clumpy.
3. Mix in sour cream and half of the softened butter until a sticky dough forms.
4. Once combined, roll out onto a floured surface and knead until dough is no longer sticky.
5. When potatoes are soft, mash with a potato masher or hand mixer and mix in cheese, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/4 cup of butter and a pinch of salt and pepper until well combined.
6. Roll out dough to about 1/8” thick, and cut out rounds with a a 2” biscuit cutter (if you don’t have a biscuit cutter, use a glass or small mixing bowl to cut the rounds)
7. Place a teaspoon of potato in the middle of each round
8. Coat the edge of the dough with water, fold in half, then “crimp” sealed with a fork
9. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil
10. Peel, halve and thinly slice shallots, strip thyme from stems
11. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat
12. Boil pierogi until they float, about 1-2 minutes, working in batches if needed
13. Once cooked, sear pierogi on both sides in oil, about 1-2 minutes on each side
14. Set cooked pierogi to the side on a plate, tent with foil to keep warm
15. Return the skillet used to sear the pierogi to medium high heat, add the remaining 1/2 cup of butter and melt. Add in the shallots and and cook until beginning to caramelize, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about another minute or two.
16. Toss the pierogi in the sauce, serve with sour cream and garnish with more thyme if desired.
17. Serve with sour cream and garnish with more thyme, if desired