Chinese wonton has to be the original inspiration; for all filled dumplings or pasta mini-pies.
Varenyky (or Pyrohy, or perogies) are dough pockets (pies) filled with potato, or potato and cheddar cheese, or kapusta (sauerkraut), or cottage cheese, or blueberries, or cherries, or…
Ukrainian varenyky are boiled and resemble to various degrees Polish pierogi, Russian pilmeni, Italian ravioli, Jewish kreplach, or Chinese dim sum, filled buns, and both wontons. Modern; commercially produced “Pizza Pockets” also bear a similarity.
Varenyky are often served with onions and sour cream. The word “Varenyky” is used throughout the Ukraine. The singular form of “Varenyky” is“Varényk”. The word “Pyrohy” is used by Canadian Ukrainian descendants of pre-World War settlers from the western Ukraine. The singular form of “Pyrohy “is pirib. The word “perogies”is a Canadianization of Pyrohy.
For most red-blooded Ukrainians, no dish is more tempting to feast on than well-filled, plump Varenyky made of soft dough and served with a generous portion of “smetana “(sour cream). As stated, fillings for Varenyky are numerous, but cottage cheese in the national favourite. Each cook has their own way of preparing the dough. Some like it very soft; others prefer a slightly thicker mixture. Good Varenyky should never be tough or pasty but tender and with a thin coating of dough. The tenderness of the dough depends on several factors, but mostly on the amount of water used in it. Experienced cooks claim that cool water gives softer dough and also prevents quick drying. While an egg adds nutritive value, it also increases the firmness of the dough. Seasoned cooks omit the egg white entirely and use one or more egg yolks with superlative results. To assure tenderness, add ½ cup of cold mashed potatoes and 1 Tbsp. of melted fat to the following standard recipe
The Standard Recipe
2 cups flour
½ cup water, about
1 tsp. salt
Cottage Cheese Filling
1 egg or 2 egg yolks
Mix the flour with the salt in a deep bowl. Add the egg and enough water to make medium soft dough. Knead on a floured board until smooth. Too much kneading will toughen the dough. Divide the dough into 2 parts. Cover and let stand for at least 10 minutes. Prepare the cottage cheese filling or use any filling in the recipes that follow.
The filling should be thick enough to hold its shape. Roll the dough quite thin on a floured board. Cut rounds with a large biscuit cutter or with the open end of a glass. For speedier work, the dough may be cut into 2 to - ½ inch squares. Put the round or square on the palm of a hand. Place a spoonful of the filling on it, fold over to form a half-circle or triangle, and press the edges together with the fingers. The edges should be free of filling. Be sure that the edges are sealed well to prevent the filling from running out. Place the Varenyky on a floured board or a tea towel without crowding them. Cover with a tea towel to prevent drying.
Drop a few Varenyky at a time into a large quantity of rapidly boiling salted water. Do not attempt to cook too many at a time. Stir very gently with a wooden spoon to separate them and to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Continue boiling rapidly for 3 to 4 minutes. The cooking period will depend on the size of the Varenyky and the thickness of the dough. Varenyky are ready when they are well puffed. Remove them with a perforated spoon or skimmer to a colander and drain thoroughly. Place in a deep dish, sprinkle generously with melted butter, and toss very gently to coat the Varenyky evenly with melted butter and prevent them from sticking.
Cover and keep them hot until all are cooked. Serve in a large dish without piling or crowding them. Top with browned buttered bread crumbs.
The traditional accompaniment to Varenyky is Smetana, or diced crisp bacon, or both. Some enjoy them with diced onion lightly browned in butter
