PIROHIS

"This recipe details the method for making the best pirohis in the world"
John Goobic, professional cook

Potato Filling

Prepare potatoes as if making mashed potatoes - peel, cube and cook in salted water. While the potatoes are cooking, finely dice onion and brown in butter, do as much as you want to have in your potato filling. Grate/shred sharp/extra sharp white/yellow (but not orange!) Cheddar cheese, I use a tear drop grater- I use 1 lb cheese to 2-3 lb potatoes, I like them cheesy. Drain potatoes when cooked, add browned onions and butter, add grated cheese - mash with electric beater or by hand but you want them smooth and thick, if they seem too thick add some cream or milk. But remember they must be thick enough to roll into balls when cool. Spread out on large plate or platter to cool!! When cooled, roll into balls, smaller than golf balls, you determine the size of the ball based on the size of the round cutter you use to cut the dough circles.

Prune Filling

Take dried prunes, steeped in hot water or simmering water till soft. drain, pat dry with paper towel if need be, cool and chop to use as filling. Use teaspoon to fill dough round or else you stain dough with prune juice.

Cabbage Filling

Thinly shred green cabbage, blanched in salted water then stop cooking by dropping hot cabbage into ice cold water. When cold, drain well, roll in kitchen towel if needed to remove any excess water. Sauté chopped onion and minced garlic, in oil, butter or my favorite - LARD - let cool and then use as filling as in the potato method.

Dough

This recipe will make a batch of about 30 -36 pirohis, if made to the suggested size.

		1 1/2 cups of water
		2 eggs
		1 tablespoon vegetable oil
		pinch of salt
		flour

Mix water, eggs, oil, salt together. Add flour in small batches while stirring - amount of flour depends on its moisture content. You want to make a dough that is not too dry; at some point you must work the dough with your hands. When it is the correct consistency, knead for 5 minutes and then let rest covered for 20 minutes. While dough is resting, you make some potato-ball filling by rolling them between your hands. Even if you are finished with the filling, the dough should rest 20 minutes.

Assembly

Roll some of the dough out on a floured surface. Roll about 3/32" or 2mm thick. Use a round cutter to make circles of dough, I use a cleaned can from 28 oz tomatoes, you can use a glass or large round cookie cutter. Take a round and put a potato ball in the center, fold over into a half moon, squeezing the potato filling to flatten and spread as you form the pirohi, you must pinch the edges closed but without getting potato filing in between the dough. Make most of the dough batch into pirohis, before you start to boil them. I make and boil a batch at a time before making the next batch of dough.

Cooking

Bring the largest pot of water you have to a boil, add some salt, I use an 8 to 12 quart pot. When water is boiling, add 10 -12 pirohis - stir to keep them from initially sticking to the bottom of the pot or together. Boil about 3 minutes - they are done when they come to/float on the top of the water.

At this point you have 2 choices:

First Choice - eat later

Using a scoop strainer, remove from the boiling water and drop into iced/chilled water. Since you are boiling in batches, the water drops below a boil when you remove some with strainer and you need to get it back to a boil before dropping in some more. Let chill til cold and or they sink to bottom of chilled water container - usually 3 to 5 minutes. Then toss lightly in some oil just to coat them to keep them from sticking together. Refrigerated covered or individually freeze them for later use.

Chilled pirohis are usually pan fried/browned on both sides, in a bit of oil in a non-stick frying pan. Serve with some sour cream or crème fraîche on the side.

Second Choice - eat right away

Before starting the boiling process, dice and brown some onions in butter - I brown a lot and also use a lot of butter. Using scoop strainer, take out boiled pirohis and drain/shake off any water. Toss hot drained pirohis into browned onions and butter. Serve with a click of sour cream.

John Goobic