“Kopytka”   (Polish dumpling)

Serve on their own with mushroom or tomato sauce or with onion/bacon topping

Serve as a side with meat or chicken with sauce.

Can be served sweet with a sprinkle of sugar and a little cream

 

I like mine fried with a little butter or with breadcrumbs done in butter on a frypan.

 

Ingredients:

1kg potatoes (ones good for mashing)

200g plain flour

1 egg

Rounded dessertspoon of butter

3 dessertspoons milk

Salt (to taste)

 

Savoury topping:  1 onion chopped; speck or bacon finely diced – sautéed in butter)

 

Method:

  •   Peel and quarter potatoes and boil until soft
  •  Mash drained potatoes with the milk and a teaspoon or so of the butter
  • The mashed potatoes need to be really smooth – so either push it through a sieve or use a blender
  • Cool mashed potatoes
  •   In a bowl mix the potatoes with egg and half the flour
  • Turn out onto dry surface and add rest of flour – knead quickly until smooth     
  •   Put on a large pot of salted water to boil – the wider the better so the dumplings don’t get crowded, once boiling turn down to a simmer·         
  • Roll out the dough to about a finger thickness·       
  • Cut into narrow strips then  cut each strip into diagonal pieces, smooth out with your hand·        
  • Add dumplings to water (don’t overcrowd) and bring to boil. Once they float to the surface use a slotted spoon to remove them to a bowl. Put a little butter on each layer and give the bowl a shake to stop the dumplings from sticking.·         
  •   Serve with the onion/bacon topping or with your favourite sauce as a side or as a small meal on its own with sweet (sugar/cream) or savoury topping·     

“Pierogi Leniwe”   (Lazy dumplings)


Pierogi are actually a stuffed Polish dumpling, so this recipe has nothing to do with them!

The Pierogi here refers to the dough mixture.

May be served sweet with sugar and cream or savoury with breadcrumbs or any other topping of your choice.

Note: Farm cheese is NOT cottage cheese or ricotta cheese (to wet) or FETA (to salty). Farm cheese has the consistency of Feta in that it is moist (not wet) and not to dry and usually bought in a block. It is fairly neutral in flavour.  I’ve tried this with Philladelphia cream cheese but this tends to melt into a liquid so not really very suitable.

A dry cottage cheese could be a possible alternative

In Australia there are still some delicatessens that sell farm cheese and Harris Farm sometimes has it.

In Europe it is easier to find – particularly in Germany/Poland and France.

Ingredients:

600g farm cheese

2-3 eggs

Cup of flour

Salt

Dessertspoon or so of breadcrumbs

Dessertspoon of butter

Method:

  • ·         Cheese needs to be pushed through a sieve or blended to obtain a smooth texture
  • ·         Separate eggs.
  • ·         Sift flour
  • ·         Beat egg whites until stiff
  • ·         Add beaten egg white and flour alternately into the cheese and mix
  • ·         Put dough onto a floured surface and roll out to about 2cm thickness
  • ·         Flatten gently with your hand
  • ·         Put on a large pot of salted water to boil, then turn down to simmer
  • ·         Using a sharp knife cut narrow strips then cut diagonal pieces from each strip
  • ·         Place into the simmering pot of water and bring to boil. Once the pierogi have come to the surface remove them with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
  • ·         Gently brown the breadcrumbs in butter on a frypan (don’t burn)

Serve with the browned breadcrumbs or with a sprinkle of sugar and cream.