Jono & Jules do food & wine

Our first time making these delicious Polish dumplings, and we’ll be making them again as the recipe is easy (if lengthy), makes loads, and they cook from frozen if you don’t eat them straight away. It helps if you can get a bit of a production line going… so involve others if they’re around.

Wine Suggestion: Dry Chenin Blanc, like Domaine des Aubuisières Vouvray “le Marigny”. A dry cuvée that sees a bit of oak and aging on the fine lees giving it extra texture and allowing the minerality to emerge from the precise fuit. The texture in this contrasts with the silkiness of the Pierogi and plays with the sour cream and lemon zest in a good way.

Pierogi – serves 8 to 10

FOR THE DOUGH:

• 2 large eggs
• 400g soured cream
• 350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• ½ tsp baking powder

FOR THE FILLING:

• 250g white cabbage, about a quarter of a whole one, coarsely grated
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 500g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 tsp caraway seeds
• 2 onions,
• unsalted butter
• 120g mature Cheddar cheese
• white pepper

TO SERVE:

• 30g chives
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

Make the dough first by beating the eggs with 150g of the soured cream. Sift in the flour, baking powder and ½ tsp of sea salt, then mix until the dough comes together. Knead on a floured surface until smooth, then wrap in clingfilm and put into the fridge.

Put the cabbage into a bowl and add the vinegar and a pinch of salt. Rub and mix with your hands, then set aside to lightly pickle.

Put the potatoes into a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 10-12 minutes or until they are tender. Drain then return to the pot to steam dry.

Toast the caraway seeds in a large dry frying pan for a few minutes, then add the onions with a good glug of olive oil. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until soft and golden. Add the pickled cabbage with a knob of butter and cook for another 5 minutes. Mash the potatoes, then add to the cabbage and onions. Add the cheese and some white pepper. Mix well, then taste and add plenty of seasoning. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, finely chop the chives and mix in a bowl with the rest of the soured cream, lemon zest and juice. Season, then tip onto a large serving platter and chill in the fridge.

Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and cut in half. Take the first half and roll out to 2mm thick, dusting with flour as you go. Cut as many circles as you can with a 9cm cutter and repeat with the second piece of dough.

Divide the filling into heaped teaspoons on a tray and roll into small marble-sized balls. Place a pastry circle into the palm of your hand, put a ball in the middle, then gently fold in half, piching all the way around, then place on a floured surface.

When you have made all the pierogi, take a floured fork and use it to crimp closed the edges.

Cook a few of the pierogi at a time in a large pot of boiling salted water for about 4 minutes. Carefully scoop them out and itno a large non-stick pan with a knob of foaming butter and fry until golden on one side only. Serve the hot pierogi on top of the chilled sauce.

(Original recipe from Jamie’s Comfort Food by Jamie Oliver, Michael Joseph, 2014.)