Homemade Pierogies with Wild Mushroom Sauce

Pierogie Ingredients
(pierogi dough and filling recipe adapted from original "Nana's Pierogies" at Just a Pinch)

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Potato Filling

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 tsp butter
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small diced yellow onion
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp each kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated cheese (change the cheese depending on taste - I like Gruyere, or a 4 cheese Italian blend with this recipe)

Wild Mushroom Sauce Ingredients

• 1 pkg dried wild mushrooms (about a half cup)
• 1 tsp butter
• 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper (or to taste)
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup full fat sour cream

Directions - Dough

1. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Make a well in the center and then add the egg, vegetable oil and warm water and stir until it all comes together. 
3. Remove to a floured board and knead for about a minute - just until the dough is smooth. Divide it into two equal pieces, wrap each in plastic, and let rest for 30 minutes.

Directions - Filling

1. Boil the potatoes until tender. While they're boiling saute the finely diced white onion in the butter and extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic powder, salt and pepper stirring well and continue to saute until the onions begin to look soft and golden. 
2. Drain the potatoes.
3. Add the onion mixture along with a half cup of shredded cheese to the drained potatoes and mash everything together until its nice and smooth and fluffy.

Directions - Assembly

1. Now its time to roll out the dough. Place one of the halves onto a floured surface and roll to a thickness of about a quarter of an inch. Cut out round disks using a tumbler and then roll out each individual disc before stuffing. 
2. Place 1 tbsp of the potato mixture onto the disc and then roll over and fold. Seal the edges further by pressing down with the tines of a fork. These can be made ahead at this point and then refrigerated or frozen until ready to use.

Directions - Wild Mushroom Sauce

1. In a medium saucepan over high heat bring the beef broth to the boil.
2. Place the dried mushrooms into a bowl and pour the hot stock over top. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes. 
3. Remove the mushrooms and reserve the broth, chop them, and add them to a saute pan with a teaspoon of butter. Saute over medium high for about two minutes. 
4. Add fresh thyme and pour the reserved beef and mushroom broth back into the pan. Bring to the boil and let reduce by about a quarter. 
5. Remove the thyme, add the sour cream, and stir until you have a smooth velvety sauce. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until ready to serve.

Cooking the Pierogies

1. Pull out a large non-stick saute pan and prepare it with 1 Tbsp vegetable oil.
2. Using a slotted spoon, immerse the pierogies in batches of six in a large pot of rapidly boiling water. Let boil until they begin to come to the top. 
3. Heat the saute pan over medium high and then turn to medium.
4. Transfer the pierogies using the slotted spoon one by one into the large non stick pan heated to medium. The water from the perogies will make the pan sputter quite a bit. Just remove the pan from the heat momentarily when that happens and keep going. 
5. Turn them every minute or so and continue to saute until both sides are golden. Remove the pierogies to a paper towel lined sheet pan and keep them warm in a 200 oven while you cook the next six. 
6. Serve drizzled with the wild mushrooms and sauce.