My Uncle Steve Karkoski was Polish and my aunt Jeanette would cook Pirojki which are delicious morsels of potato that are destined to please.
I found a Russian Cookbook, ‘The Food and Cooking of Russia’ by Elena Makhonko. The first recipe I tried was this recipe for Pirojki and it was like being transported back in time to the delights of my aunt’s kitchen – delicious! If you try this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a message on our post on Facebook.
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Little Deep-fried Potato Pies - Jarenye Pirojki s Kartoshkov
February 23, 2020
Pirojki are an indispensible part of the zakusi table. Pirojki can be baked, but here they are fried so the pastry is deliciously crisp.
Persons
24
Serving Size
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- For the dough:
- 50g butter
- 200ml milk
- 1 small egg plus egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp caster sugar
- 5g dried yeast
- 3 1/2 cups plain white flour
- 3 tbsp water
- oil for frying
- For the filling:
- 500g floury potatoes
- 3-4 tbsp oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- To make the filling, peel and cut the potatoes, put in a pan of salted cold water, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until soft. Drain, return to the pan then leave for 2-3 minutes to allow the steam to evaporate. Mash the potatoes until smooth then transfer to a bowl.
- Heat the oil in a small frying pan, add the onions and fry, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes until softened and golden brown. Add the onions to the mashed potatoes and mix. Season with plenty of salt and pepper. Set aside.
- To make the dough, melt the butter in a pan. Add the milk and water and heat it to 45oC. Remove from the heat. Whisk the whole egg in a large bowl with the salt and sugar. Add the warm milk mixture. Mix the yeast with the flower and stir, a little at a time, into the warm egg mixture. Knead the dough in the bowl for 5 minutes. Cover with a dish towel and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes, until it has doubled in size.
- Grease a large baking sheet. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes. Cut the dough in 24 equal-sized pieces and form each piece into a ball. Leave to rest for 5-10 minutes. Flatten each ball to a round measuring 10cm in diameter.
- Spread 1 1/2 tbsp of the potato filling in the centre of each round of dough. Fold together and seal the edges at the top. Put them, upside down with the join facing down, on a wooden chopping board.
- Half fill a deep pan with oil, and heat to 180oC or until a small piece of dough when dropped in, raises to the surface immediately. In batches of around four of five, fry the pies in the oil for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the piles from the pan with a slotted spoon, and place on the kitchen paper to drain. Cook all the pieces this way, and serve immediately,
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