History of The Pierogi: Plus a Homemade Buffalo Chicken Pierogi Recipe!

It's Dyngus Day, so no better time to dive head first into a pierogi.

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Let's be honest, it doesn't have to be Dyngus Day or even be Polish to enjoy a good pierogi. There's no better place to have them than Buffalo.

Here's a little history on the pierogi, courtesy of The Polish Villa.

Pierogi is actually the plural form of the word pieróg. A generic term for filled dumpling. Half circular dumplings made from unleavened dough and stuffed with filling. 

The pierogi is often credited coming from Poland but the exact origin is disputed. The dish can be traced to Europe and China but the word pierogi appeared in cookbooks in Poland around the 17th century. However, claims of the origins of the pierogi (dumpling) have been made by Romanians, Russians, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, and Slovaks.

The pierogi first appeared in the United States at the start of The Great Depression. A popular food for families and immigrants. It wasn't until the '60's that the frozen pierogi became a widely sold food item in America.

I'm not Polish but my older half brother and sister are and I grew up around their Polish family and I have fond memories of pierogi dishes on both Christmas Eve and Dyngus Day.

The traditional piergoi is great (potato, cheese, sauerkraut) but changing it up with a new variation every now and then, doesn't hurt

Here's a great homemade Buffalo Chicken Pierogi recipe!

From the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle:

Making the dough

• 5 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
• ¾ stick softened or melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• ¾ cup warm water

Buffalo Chicken Filling

• 3 chicken breast halves
• 3/4 cup of Frank's RedHot Buffalo wing sauce (plus more or other sauces, to taste)
• 1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning (plus more or other spices, to taste)
• 4 ounces (½ block) cream cheese, cut in small cubes

Cook chicken, sauce and seasoning in a slow cooker on high for two hours. Shred chicken with two forks.

Uncover and cook until all the sauce is absorbed by the chicken (stirring it)

Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Set aside to cool in a baking dish.

Molding (credit the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle)

1. Roll the dough fairly thin with a rolling pin or pasta roller.

2. Cut circles; my mother-in-law uses the top of a ricotta container.

3. Wet the outside of the circle with a finger dipped into a cup of water.

4. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of filling onto the circle and pull the dough over the filling. Carefully pinch the dough all the way around the filling, taking care to avoid holes or allowing any filling to get between the dough you are pinching.

5. Place pierogis on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and sprayed with cooking spray until ready to boil

Boil

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place pierogi in but not too many at a time, to keep the water boiling.

Cook 3-4 minutes until pierogi bob. Remove and cool on waxed paper-lined cooking sheet.

Fry the pierogi in a pan with melted butter until golden brown on both sides.

See complete recipe lists here.