I've been buying pre-packaged pierogi from Trader Joe's and local Polish delis. But I can't seem to get a straight or consistent answer on how you are supposed to cook them. Should you steam pierogi, boil them, or saute them with butter?
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2"Pierogi" is already plural; no need to add an s.– Adam JaskiewiczSep 1, 2011 at 22:51
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4Actually, in Polish singular is "pieróg" and plural is "pierogi", but in USA "pierogi" is the singular and "pierogis" is plural. Confusing, I know.– jkadlubowskaOct 8, 2012 at 16:07
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1That's because us Americans don't care about anyone else's plurals. I wince every time I hear "biscottis'.– FuzzyChefDec 24, 2020 at 5:47
9 Answers
We have a Polish & Greek place by us (don't ask), and theirs are always boiled. They are delicious that way (usually topped with bacon and sour cream)...
Personally I always grew up w/ them boiled then sauteed, which is my favorite.
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1That was exactly our thought :) apparently there were some military marriages involved :)– RikonSep 2, 2011 at 2:01
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My Polish mother-in-law boils them. The sweet ones are usually served with a bit of yogurt or sour cream, and the savory ones are often fried (after boiling) until golden, and served with onions and bacon.
The most common way here in Poland to prepare them is to boil them. Put them into boiling and salted water, wait until they start floating on the surface and then boil for 2-3 minutes (longer if they are frozen).
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2This is exactly what I do. And I've been making them since I was 8. Though, in some regions of Poland pierogis are usually baked. Oct 8, 2012 at 16:07
My babcia (grandmother, she came to the states in '49) boils them after assembly. If she's serving them right away, she browns them in some butter. Otherwise, she packages them up in ziplock bags and freezes them.
Packaged pierogi are probably already boiled. I would thaw them and saute in a little butter until golden brown and warm through.
First boil them. Remove from water and brown some butter and pour the butter over the pierogi and toss in a large bowl. Later you can either fry them or warm them in the microwave.
My grandmother, who is from Poland, simmered them in boiling salted water and then drained them. She smothered them in butter that had been browned, this was how my mother taught me. Not sure if this is the authentic way but it is what was passed down three generations. This process is used for the potato cheese mix as well as the fruit pierogi, both being covered with browned butter
I Am 75 and learned how to make pierogi from my mother who learned from her mother. Pierogi should be boiled and drained. When boiling never put more than 5-6 in the pot at one time. In a frying pan, melt butter and fry finely chopped onions and finely chopped salt pork. Fry the boiled pierogi in the mixture on both sides to favor, do not brown. Serve with sour cream.
This is how I make them! This YouTube video is great, and easy to follow. They taste amazing this way!
[Paraphrased Video] Saute first in butter, margarine or butter flavored spread as many as you can reasonably fit in the skillet on one layer. Add mushrooms, onions and seasonings as desired. Cover and steam for a few minutes at a time flipping as you check and stir. Brown gently and heat through, flipping every few minutes.
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2Tasting good does not make them "authentic" many delicious things are not anything like how they would have been made originally.– CatijaApr 22, 2017 at 2:56
I always saute them with butter & onions, they taste better this way in my opinion. Sometimes top them with Sour Cream but usually just eat them plain w/ onions
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Thanks for your input, but the OP asked for the authentic way to cook them, not asking how other people enjoy cooking them.– ChefAndySep 7, 2017 at 21:06