Periyukas (Lithuanian "Pierogies")

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My dad's fiance's grandma's recipe, with a few modifications to make it clearer and easier, as made by my dad. You will need to have a clear rolling space available, a minumum of 18" square if at all possible.

Ingredients

  • Dumpling:
  • 2 lbs potatoes
  • Up to 4 cups unbleached flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Filling
  • 1 15-oz tub ricotta
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
  • 2 Tbsp. minced or grated onion
  • –OR–
  • Homemade, fresh, or from-a-jar sauerkraut (canned just doesn't taste as good), drained thoroughly (must be dry!)
  • Topping:
  • 1/2 lb. of the best quality bacon you can get
  • 1 white onion, 3-4 inch diameter, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. butter

Directions

  1. Make topping: Have bacon cold, possibly a few minutes in freezer. Cut lengthwise strips in half, then cut into 1/4 inch wide pieces.
  2. Place bacon in cold pan, cook at medium heat, turn once.
  3. After turning bacon, add butter and minced onion, cook until onion is clear and at the point of turning golden. Set aside.
  4. Make filling: Break eggs, separate one and add yolk to the other (Reserve the separated white for sealing the dumplings).
  5. Stir into ricotta.
  6. Stir allspice and onion in. Set aside.
  7. Make dumplings: Cook the potatoes whole (microwave–pierced to avoid exploding–or boil or bake. Microwave is fastest) until soft. If you have a ricer, leave skins on. If not, peel them after baking or boiling and letting them cool.
  8. Put the reserved egg white into a small dish. Add about a tablespoon of water and stir together.
  9. Rice or mash the potatoes into a 1-1/2 or 2 quart mixing bowl.
  10. Add the salt.
  11. Stir in one cup of flour. Mix with a large fork. Add more flour in small amounts while stirring until the mixture forms a ball of dough. It's okay if it's still sticky, but it should be a cohesive ball.
  12. Spread some flour on the rolling area. Put the dough-ball on it and sprinkle more flour on the top.
  13. After the surface is floured, pull a fist-size piece into the center, set aside the rest. Roll the dough out thinly–1/8 inch or less.
  14. Cut into 4" rounds. (A size 1 Rubbermaid storage container is perfect for this.)
  15. To fill, place a tablespoon of the ricotta mix just off center on a dumpling. Use fingertips to wet around edges with egg white. Fold and pinch. Set them on a dry board as folded, don't overlap. Fill 4 to 6 at a time on a level cutting board. Fill all before boiling.
  16. Boil 4 quarts water and 1/2 tsp salt in a large pot.
  17. Add periyukas four to six at a time to boiling water. It works best to lower each one into the water on a large slotted spoon. When they float up, remove to a serving plate.
  18. Serve as they are OR brown them in a pan with butter OR brush with melted butter and put under broiler for a minute.
  19. Reheat the onion/bacon in a pan.
  20. Serve periyukas with bacon/onion mixture and sour cream in bowls for people to spoon on top.

This recipe was submitted by ketchupqueen on January 31, 2005.

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2 thoughts on “Periyukas (Lithuanian "Pierogies")

  1. I have looked numerous times for a recipe for “Klatskas”..My grandmother
    would make them and even as kids we loved them…My dad and mother
    could make them and I have only attempted once..But we used raw potatoes
    and grated them then the grated potatoes were put in a chessecloth type thing
    and wring all the moisture you possibly can out of the potatoes..Then you would
    add flour so you could make a patty then add the filling..You would put them
    into boiling salted water and when they came to the top cover lower heat and
    boil for approx 20 minutes…Ours did not have allspice in them either..Just a
    mixture of cottage cheese with egg mixed and salt and pepper..otherwise
    these were very close…thank you

  2. Hi, i just wondered what is “Periyukas”??? I’m lithuanian and never heard this word (even a similar to it). the recipe above is for making “virtiniai” or “koldÅ«nai” 😉 to be precise – “bulviniai koldÅ«nai” (made from potatos)
    Maybe “Periyukas” is a name of lithuanian “virtiniai/koldÅ«nai” but in other (not lithuanian) language or it’s just a simple mistake? what ethnicity is your dad’s fiance’s grandma?

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