Where to get house-made pierogies in Victoria

Making pierogies from scratch is a lot easier than you’d think. Take it from me. The other night I ventured into my kitchen determined to 1) make pierogies for the first time, 2) put something on the table for dinner, and 3) get a good photo of the pierogies. And while my kitchen looked as though a storm had hit it, I am happy to report that it was a mission accomplished.

Pierogies are traditionally considered Polish, although they are also eaten in several Central and Eastern European countries including the Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania, and Slovakia. The spelling varies from pierogi, piroghi, to pierogie. Authentic pierogi (pierog is singular pierogi is plural) are semi-circular dumplings of unleavened dough, typically stuffed with mashed potatoes and cheese, though fillings range from savoury (sauerkraut, cabbage, onion, mushrooms, and meat), to sweet (blueberries and strawberries).

I had been hearing a lot about pierogies; my friends were making them, I was seeing them pop up on menus here and there, and my daughter and her friends went through bags of them after school.

Most pierogi recipes have been passed down from generation to generation and are valued as treasured bits of family history. In my search I discovered there are a ton of recipes online, but how would I choose? I finally narrowed my selection down to the trusted Food Network. This particular recipe I’ve included is from food editor Paul Grimes, who grew up having pierogies every Easter at his Russian grandmother’s house.

If you are the descendant of a European pierogi making grandma, I beseech you to find that recipe! (That is if you don’t already have it tucked away in a safe place). If you were lucky to have gobbled down grandma’s homemade little dumplings, hot out of the pan and dripping in butter, I can bet they were the best pierogies you’ve ever had. I couldn’t get my mitts on grandma’s recipe but I did find the following and, to my naïve pierogi pallet, they turned out fairly decent, if I do say so myself.

Where to get house-made pierogies in Victoria:

Cook N’ Pan Polish Deli – 1725 Cook Street

Here you can have pierogies for breakfast, lunch or to take home (frozen by the dozen). They are truly authentic and delicious.

Hungry Rooster Food Truck

This mother-daughter team makes traditional, very flavourful pierogies. They are often located in the Capital Iron parking lot, but check their website for any updates. Orders of 6 range from $7-12 and toppings range from the traditional (onions, bacon and sour cream) to the experimental (Mexican and Thai).

John’s Place – 723 Pandora Street

10 potato and cheddar pierogies sautéed with onions and bacon, served with grilled Ukrainian sausage for $9.95. Who could resist?

The Perogy Factory – Ladysmith (250) 245-8063

100% gluten free, family owned pergogy company, The Perogy Factory makes a scrumptious little dumpling. You can find them frozen at Market on Yates, Sante’s Gluten Free Café, and the Local General Store on Haultain Street.

Skinnytato – 615 Johnson St (250) 590-6550

Pierogies with Potato and Cheese Filling

Total Time: 1 hr 10 min

To Prep: 50 min

To Cook: 20 min

Ingredients

2 Cups flour

1/2 Cup water

1 Egg

1/2 Teaspoon salt

3 Large potatoes

8 Ounces sharp-tasting cheese

Salt

Pepper

Method

Mix flour, water, and egg and salt together. Knead (about 5 min) on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Cover dough with bowl and let rest for 30 minutes.

Boil potatoes until soft. Drain and rinse. Add cheese. Let stand a few minutes until cheese melts. Then fold (mash) potatoes and cheese together.

Roll out dough about 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 3-inch squares. Fill each square of dough with one teaspoon of potato and cheese filling. Fold in half and pinch ends together to seal. Drop in hot boiling water and simmer for 8 minutes. Drain and fry in butter a few minutes until heated through. Chopped onions may be added to the butter, if so desired. Salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe courtesy Paul Grimes