Bayou Teche Potato Pirogues Recipes

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk egg. Add sour cream, and whisk until smooth. Add milk and 1 cup water, and whisk until combined. Slowly add about 3 cups flour, and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
• Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and work in about 1 cup flour as you knead. Use a plastic scraper to lift dough as it will stick to the counter before flour is worked in. Continue kneading for 8 to 10 minutes, working in another 1/2 cup flour. The dough should be elastic in texture and no longer sticky. Be careful not to add too much flour, as this will toughen dough. Place dough in a lightly floured bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let rest while you prepare filling.
• Make the filling: Place potatoes in a large pot, and cover with cold water. Add salt. Place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Cook until fork-tender. Drain and mash with a potato masher. Add 4 tablespoons melted butter and the cheeses, and continue to mash until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place a large pot of salted water over high heat, and bring to a boil. Lay a clean linen towel on your counter, and evenly distribute cornmeal on it to prevent sticking.
• On a floured surface, roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Using a glass or cookie cutter measuring 2 1/2 inches in diameter, cut out as many circles as possible. Gather dough scraps together, rolling them out again, and continue cutting.
• Form filling into 1 1/2-inch balls, and place a ball in the center of each dough circle. Holding a circle in your hand, fold dough over filling, and pinch the edges, forming a well-sealed crescent. Transfer to linen towel. Continue this process until all dough circles are filled.
• Place pierogi in boiling water in batches. They will sink to the bottom of the pot and then rise to the top. Once they rise, let them cook for about a minute more. Meanwhile, drizzle platter with remaining 8 tablespoons melted butter. Remove pierogi from pot, and transfer to platter to prevent sticking. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Combine seasoning mix ingredients and set aside.
• Prick each potato with a fork.
• Bake potatoes for 45 minutes.
• Let cool until they can be handled.
• Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out pulp, leaving about 1/4" in skins.
• Dice potato pulp and set aside. There should be about 3 cups.
• Combine 2 tablespoons oil with 2 tablespoons seasoning mix, and mix well.
• Brush the inside of the potato skins with the seasoned oil.
• Place on a baking sheet and return to oven.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Turn over and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
• While potato skins are cooking, make the stew.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of seasoning mix over the meat and rub it in well.
• Heat remaining oil in a 5-quart pot over high heat, just until it begins to smoke, 3-4 minutes.
• Add meat and spread evenly over the bottom of the pot.
• Cook for 2 minutes without stirring.
• Turn meat and cook just until it loses its red color, about 2 minutes more.
• Remove meat and set aside, pressing it against the pan as you take it out to release some of the juices.
• To the same pot, add 1 cup onion, 1 1/2 cups celery, 3 tablespoons poblano peppers, 3 tablespoon Anaheim peppers, and 2 tablespoons seasoning mix.
• If any juices accumulate from the meat, add them, too.
• Mix well and cook, stirring and scraping the pot frequently, until the vegetables are dark brown and the bottom of the pot is covered with dark brown particles, 5-7 minutes--but watch the pot, not the clock. Don't let them scorch.
• Add 1 cup of reserved potato pulp and mash down.
• Scrape bottom of pot until anything that sticks is loosened. It will come up in layers; turn the pot to make sure everything is scraped up or it will burn.
• Continue stirring until well-combined and potatoes are sticking heavily, adding 1/2 cup stock if necessary to prevent scorching, about 6-8 minutes.
• Add 1 1/2 cups stock and scrape the bottom of the pan until everything that's sticking is dissolved.
• Add 1 1/2 cups potato pulp, the remaining stock, the reserved meat and remaining seasoning mix.
• Cover and bring to a boil.
• Uncover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 10 minutes.
• Add remaining onions, celery, and peppers, and all the mushrooms and carrots, and simmer until meat is tender, 10-15 minutes.
• Whisk in remaining potato pulp and remove from heat.
• Fill each potato skin with 1 1/4 cups of stew, letting some of it slop over onto the plate, and serve immediately.
• Variation: You can also deep-fry the potato skins. If frying, eliminate the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place vegetable oil in a deep fryer to a depth of 4". Heat oil to 350°F.
• Carefully lower the skins into the hot oil and fry 4-5 minutes, until rich brown, pushing down with tongs if they float.
• Remove with tongs, drain, and sprinkle with the 2 1/2 teaspoons of the seasoning mix.

Steps:

• To make the dough, combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
• Make a well in the center and add the water and egg yolks. With a wooden spoon, stir constantly until the dough holds together, adding a little more water if necessary.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for 2 minutes. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and set it aside.
• For the filling, boil the potatoes in a large saucepan of salted water for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
• Drain the potatoes, then mash them by hand.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the onion, cheese, and salt to the potatoes and mash them inches.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Meanwhile, break the dough into quarters. Roll one out thin on a floured surface.
• Using a biscuit cutter or a water glass, cut the dough into 3 to 3 1/2-inch circles. Roll out and cut the scraps. Repeat with the other 3 quarters until all the dough is used.
• Put a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle.
• Moisten the edge of the circle with a wet fingertip, then fold it in half and press the edges together firmly to seal.
• Drop the pierogi, 8 to 10 at a time, into the boiling water. Simmer until the pierogi rise to the surface, then continue to simmer for 4 to 5 minutes more.
• Next, melt a little butter in a large skillet. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pierogi from the water into the skillet. Cook them in the butter over medium high heat for several minutes, until lightly browned on both sides.
• Serve hot and garnish with a little extra cheese, if you like.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Cut in the butter using a fork until pieces are very small. Stir in the water and mix until well blended. If the dough is too sticky, stir in a little more flour until you can knead it on a floured surface. Knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes. Cover, and let rest for 10 or 15 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter or large glass. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
• To make the filling, prepare the mashed potato flakes according to package directions. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions; cook and stir until soft and transparent. Remove from the heat, and mix in the mashed potatoes.
• Place one tablespoon of the pierogi filling onto each circle of dough. Fold circles over and pinch the edges to seal tightly so that no filling will escape while they boil. They can be frozen at this time if you like.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully drop several perogies into the water. They are done when they float to the top. Continue the process with remaining perogies. You can also fry the perogies in some butter with onion before serving if you like.