Mushroom and Potato Pierogi

It seems that every country and culture has their own version of a dumpling… and I can safely tell you, I am in love with them all! 

I mean seriously, who can resist a delicious bite sized parcel of concentrated flavour, generously coated in a luscious sauce?! 

So, it is with great pleasure that I introduce you all to the: 
Gluten Free Mushroom & Potato Pierogi

They’re what carbohydrate dreams are made of!

MUSHROOM & POTATO PIEROGI
Ingredients:
Filling:
2 onions, finely diced
3 small potatoes, finely diced
2 tbsp olive oil
50g herb and garlic butter
500g mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 tsp lightly dried garlic
2 tsp lightly dried parsley
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Dough:
2.5 cups plain gluten free flour
1 heaped tbsp Greek Yoghurt
1 egg
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tbsp psyllium husks
3/4 cup hot water (and up to an extra 2 tbsp hot water – if dough is too dry)

*Extra 1 tbsp oil & 1 tbsp butter for frying pierogi

Method:
1. In a fry pan combine the olive oil, garlic butter and finely diced onions. Fry until translucent, then add the mushrooms and potatoes. Fry together until the starting to caramelise.
2. Add the dried garlic, parsley, dill, pepper and salt, place the lid on the fry pan and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir, frying on a low heat for a further 2 minutes. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl combine plain flour, Greek yoghurt, egg, xanthan gum, psyllium husks and 3/4 cup hot water. Mix until a smooth dough has formed.
**If you are finding that you need more moisture in your dough, add a little more hot water, increasing the amount 1 tsp at a time.
Once you have a smooth dough, cover in cling wrap
4. Take a portion of dough and roll out between two pieces of baking paper (I don’t like to make mine too thin), then using a circular cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough.
5. Fill the centre of each circle with .5tsp – 1 tsp of the cooled mushroom and potato mixture, fold each circle in half, enclosing the mixture. Press the edges of the circle together to seal. (If you feel like being a little fancy, you can press the sealed edges with a fork to create a pattern).
6. Bring a pot of water to the boil and lower the temperature to a rapid simmer or a slow boil. Put a few pierogi into the water at a time (don’t overcrowd) and let simmer/boil until the pierogi float to the surface. Once they come to the surface, remove the pierogi and set aside while you finish the rest.
7. In a large fry pan, add 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter, heat until the butter has melted into the oil, then add the pierogi to the fry pan and fry until golden on each side.

I have many ways in which I love to serve these, but a couple of my favourite ways are included below.