[From Sara in Brooklyn...]
Vareniki are small, light dumplings similar to the more common pierogi. They are considered a national dish of the Ukraine, however many culinary traditions embrace a version of these dumplings. Vareniki are incredibly versatile and can be eaten as an hors d’oeuvre with dipping sauce, as a side dish, main course, in soup, or even as dessert.
Given the enormous range of vareniki fillings available, there is something for everybody. They can be filled with a variety of vegetables, meat, fruit or cheese. They are often boiled and sometimes fried, and are typically eaten in the morning or evening. They are served hot, warm or cold. With all of these options, you’re bound to find a combination that works for you.
I recently made an informal sampling of several dumplings from M&S Dumplings located in Brooklyn, NY. M&S beef dumplings were nicely seasoned and well suited for a main course or appetizer. Uncharacteristically following the directions on the package, I followed the serving suggestion of butter, vinegar and pepper for the boiled dumplings and found it to be a perfect combination. Similarly, with the potato vareniki, the suggested butter sauce and pepper was a great compliment to the creamy and lightly-seasoned potato filling. Fried onions would also make a fantastic accompaniment.
Typically, fruit-filled vareniki are sprinkled with sugar and served with sour cream. I tried the cherry vareniki this way. Unlike the potato, the cherry vareniki were larger, and contain whole somewhat dry cherries, rather than a smooth puree, making them a bit more unwieldy than their meat and potato cousins. The cherry flavor was sour, earthy and almost savory, and while I wouldn’t turn down cherry vareniki for dessert, I think they would also work well as an accompaniment to duck or other meats. Other recipes for fruit vareniki call for mashing the fruit and combining it with cheese, which I hope to try very soon.
M&S Dumpling flavors include Veal, Beef, Beef and Chicken, Potato and Cherry and can be found in the freezer section of Brooklyn markets.
(Thanks, Sara!)
my mom would make blintzes using similar flavor combinations. my favorite was farmer cheese, with sour cherry yogurt. so delicious and filling.
They sound delicious. Too bad I have almost no chance at finding those down south. We're lucky enough that the grocery stores carry Mrs. T's at all.
Maybe if I'm feeling adventurous, I'll try making them.
Like you said, these are basically perogies. I come from a part of Canada that has a very strong eastern european immigrant heritage and thus grew up on the things. I basically only like the potato and cheese variety (and am vegetarian) but these are SO delicious. I can't find perogies that easily in the UK, so i have made them even though they are time consuming, but so glad to see them featured. My fav. way of eating them is to boil, then fry with onions, then eat hot with sour cream and fresh chopped spring onions. YUM!
My fiancee and I just love potato vareniki, if I may share the recipe I use (is my first post here). It's just from my notes, it's not as verbose as a real recipe would be.
Dough:
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/3 c. water
Combine salt and flour. Beat eggs and water together lightly. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the eggs. Incorporate. Knead on floured surface until dough is pliable. Form into small balls, cover with moist towel and let rest 1 hour.
Potato Vareniki:
1 recipe vareniki dough
1 lg. onion, chopped
2 tbs. butter
2 c. mashed potato
Salt and Pepper
1/2 c. melted butter
Chopped Dill
Sautee onion in butter until lightly browned. Add mashed potato. Season with salt & pepper.
Roll dough into circles, place 1 tbs. potato mixture into enter of each. Brush edges with water or broth, fold dough over filling to make half moons. Press around edges with tines of a fork. Dust each with flour.
Bring lg. pot of salted water to a boil. Drop vareniki into water and cook until they rise to the top, about 4 minutes.
When finished, drizzle the vareniki with melted butter, and top with plenty of chopped dill. These are delicious served with sour cream.
Mennonites eat these with a cottage cheese filling. On top you pour a "cream gravy" made with cream and melted butter. Click on my name for a recipe.