Cultured Kitchen: Piroshky, the forever dumpling

One of the first places I always wanted to visit was Russia. The smell of baked and stewed meals from my Russian neighbor’s kitchen repeatedly made my tummy rumble. Enter piroshky, a kind of dumpling that will reward your prep time with multiple snacks!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
Ground black pepper to taste
Dried dill weed to taste
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
4 cups flour
3 cups oil for frying

Preparation:

• In medium skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until evenly browned; drain. Stir in onion and cook with beef until translucent. Sprinkle in salt, pepper and dill weed to taste. Allow to cool before using.

• Dissolve the yeast in the 1/4 cup of warm water and place in a warm location until frothy, about 10 to 15 minutes. In a medium saucepan over low heat, warm milk and gently whisk in eggs, oil, sugar and salt. Remove from heat.

• Place half the flour in a large mixing bowl, gradually stir in milk mixture. Then add yeast solution with the remaining flour, stirring after each addition. Mix and knead until dough forms a ball and does not stick to the bowl. Cover bowl with a clean cloth. Set in a warm location and allow to rise until doubled in volume.

• Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Pinch off pieces the size of golf balls. Roll the pieces into disks about 3 1/2 to 4 inches in diameter.

• Fill center of each disk with a tablespoon of the cooled meat mixture. Fold disks over and firmly pinch edges to seal. Arrange on a flat surface and allow to sit 10 minutes.

• In large, heavy skillet or deep fryer, heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Deep fry the piroshky in batches until golden brown on one side; gently turn and fry the other side. Remove and let drain on paper towels.

*Special note:

Use oils other than olive oil to keep the dough crisp and browned on the outside.

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes