Potato and Cheese Varenyky

 

Makes approximately 40 dumplings 

These dumplings, often referred to as ‘Russian ravioli’ are Ukrainian in origin. Most North Americans, particularly those who grew up in the mid-West where there are large communities of Ukrainan and Polish immigrants will remember these as a favourite childhood food.

The potato dough is wonderfully soft and fluffy and while varenyky are a bit laborious to make, they are so, so worth it! Most Russian and East European men that I know would marry someone on the spot if they could turn out a decent batch of varenyky.

Dough

240 grams plain white flour
1 tsp sea salt
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp melted butter
100 grams warm mashed potatoes (approximately 1 small potato)
130 mls warm water
extra plain flour for kneading
1 tsp sea salt for cooking the dumplings

Filling

275 grams mashed potato (approximately 3 small potatoes)
150 grams farmer’s cheese or other soft, white cheese like ricotta
75 grams sharp cheddar
1 tsp sea salt

Fried Onion Topping

1 medium onion, finely chopped
75 grams of butter 

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, egg yolks, butter and potatoes and stir to   mix. Slowly stir in the cold water until the mixture comes together as a dough. On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough for 2 minutes or until smooth, adding only enough flour to keep it from sticking.

Gather the dough into a ball and place an overturned bowl over the dough. Leave the dough to rest for 10 minutes.

Start making the onion topping by melting the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and fry stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes or until the onions are deep brown and crisp.

Meanwhile, make the filling by mixing together the mashed potato with the cheeses and sea salt. Taste the filling and add more salt if necessary. The filling should taste slightly too salty.

On a floured work surface, begin to roll out the dough. Turn the dough frequently as you roll it, sprinkling it with a little flour as needed to keep it form sticking. Continue rolling out the dough until it is around 1/4 inch thick.

Using a glass, teacup or special fluted cookie cutter, cut the dough into round shapes. Place a spoonful of filling in the centre of each dough circle and fold the dough in half over the filling, squashing the filling down gently with your fingers as you fold the dough overtop. With your fingers, press down on the dough edges as they line up to create a firm seal. Repeat with the remaining circles and gather up the scraps of dough, re-roll and cut again until you have used up all the dough.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the dumplings a few at a time. Cook the dumplings for 5 minutes or until the dough is tender and the dumplings look slightly ‘puffed up’. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and divide between plates.

Serve the dumplings hot with the fried onion and butter mixture spooned overtop.

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Jennifer Klinec from Eat Drink Talk has kindly agreed to provide Urban Junkies readers with mouthwatering recipes and foodtips.

To learn more, classes at Eat Drink Talk are held in Jennifer's beautiful loft in Clerkenwell, packed with information and useful tips, and you'll get to sample all of the delicious dishes prepared during class.

 

by JK

In collaboration with Eat Drink Talk

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Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved.