Polish Pierogi Ruskie with Potato, Twarog Cheese and Butter-Fried Onion

Make the dough: mound the flour on a board, make a well, and add the egg, oil, salt and most of the warm water. Bring together and knead 8-10 minutes into a smooth, soft, elastic dough — add a splash more water if dry. Cover with a warm bowl and rest 30 minutes (resting is essential for a dough that rolls thin without tearing).

Ingredients

• For the dough (makes about 24):
• 400g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 large egg
• 200ml warm water
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• For the filling:
• 600g floury potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 250g twarog (Polish farmer's cheese) or dry-pressed cottage/ricotta
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 tbsp butter
• Salt and white pepper
• To serve:
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 60g butter
• Sour cream (smietana) and chopped chives

Instructions

1. Make the dough: mound the flour on a board, make a well, and add the egg, oil, salt and most of the warm water. Bring together and knead 8-10 minutes into a smooth, soft, elastic dough — add a splash more water if dry. Cover with a warm bowl and rest 30 minutes (resting is essential for a dough that rolls thin without tearing).
2. Make the filling: boil the potatoes in salted water until very tender, then drain well and mash smooth. Meanwhile soften the diced onion in 2 tbsp butter until golden. Mix the warm mash with the twarog, fried onion, salt and plenty of white pepper. Cool to room temperature.
3. Roll the dough out thinly on a floured board (about 2mm). Cut out 8-9cm rounds with a glass or cutter.
4. Place a heaped teaspoon of filling on each round. Fold into a half-moon and pinch the edges firmly to seal — wet the rim with a fingertip of water if needed, and crimp decoratively. Make sure there are no gaps or they will burst.
5. Make the topping: slowly fry the sliced onions in 60g butter over medium-low heat for 12-15 minutes until deep golden and sweet. Keep warm.
6. Bring a large wide pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Drop in the pierogi in batches, stir once so they don't stick, and cook 3-4 minutes — they are done about 1-2 minutes after they float to the surface.
7. Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain well, and toss gently in a little of the onion butter so they glisten and don't stick.
8. Pile onto warm plates, spoon over the buttery fried onions, add a dollop of sour cream and a scattering of chives.
9. Pierogi ruskie are the most beloved of all Polish dumplings — and despite the name ('Ruthenian pierogi'), they are not Russian at all but come from the old region of Red Ruthenia, now split between south-eastern Poland and western Ukraine. The potato-and-twarog filling is the comfort food of every Polish home, made by the dozen on a floured kitchen table for Sunday lunch, Christmas Eve and wesele wedding feasts alike. Boiled until just tender, then bathed in sweet golden onions and cooled by a spoon of sour cream, they are the taste of the Polish countryside — humble, generous and impossible to eat in any quantity smaller than 'far too many'.