Pierogi

Pierogi are half-moon dumplings of unleavened dough, filled with potato and cheese, boiled and often fried in butter. The dish is Polish and is also made in Ukraine, where it is called varenyky, so its origin is shared rather than settled. Guests will search for it under both names, and both are common on menus.

What it really is

Pierogi are made from a plain dough of wheat flour and water, usually with egg, rolled thin and cut into rounds. A spoonful of filling goes in the middle, the round is folded over into a half-moon, and the edge is pinched shut. The classic filling is mashed potato mixed with soft cheese and cooked onion. They are boiled until they float, and then often fried in butter with more onion until the edges turn golden.

Pierogi are not a fried snack. Boiling is the step that cooks them through. The butter fry is a finish that many kitchens add and some leave out.

How it's served

• Hot, straight from the pan, with the fried onion and melted butter spooned over them.
• Several to a plate, as a main course or as a generous side.
• With sour cream on the side, the usual accompaniment.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the filling: potato and cheese. Say whether the pierogi are boiled only or boiled and then fried in butter.
• Flag wheat in the dough and milk from the cheese and butter. Egg is usually in the dough, so ask the kitchen to confirm it.
• State the number of pieces per portion, and whether sour cream and fried onion come standard or cost extra.
• Use pierogi as the main name, and add varenyky in brackets if your menu wants the Ukrainian name as well.