History

Pierogi with sauerkraut and mushrooms is the canonical Polish Christmas Eve filling, observed throughout the Catholic liturgy as a meat-free Wigilia plate. The sauerkraut runs through autumn's preservation tradition; the dried porcini lock in summer's mushroom foraging. Wrocław's pierogi rooms make the filling year-round; Christmas weeks see a tripling of orders at Hala Targowa stalls.

Common allergens: Gluten

Make it at home

Yield Makes 36 pierogi (4 servings)Hands-on 1 hr 30 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 400g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 large egg, plus 1 yolk
  • 180ml warm water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 30g dried porcini mushrooms
  • 400g sauerkraut, drained and finely chopped
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 60g butter
  • Salt, black pepper
  • 100g butter, melted, to serve

Method

  1. Soak the dried porcini in 200ml warm water for 30 minutes. Drain (reserve liquid), chop fine.
  2. Sweat the onion in 60g butter until golden, about 10 minutes.
  3. Add the sauerkraut and chopped mushrooms. Pour in the reserved soaking liquid.
  4. Simmer 30 minutes until almost dry. Season with salt and pepper. Cool completely.
  5. For the dough: mix flour, egg, yolk, water and salt. Knead 8 minutes until elastic. Rest 20 minutes.
  6. Roll dough to 2mm thick. Cut 7cm circles. Spoon a teaspoon of filling onto each.
  7. Fold to a half-moon, press edges firmly to seal. Boil in salted water 4 minutes until they float plus 90 seconds.
  8. Drain. Drizzle with melted butter. Serve immediately.

Tip from the editors. Make the filling a day ahead. The pierogi can be assembled and frozen on a tray for two months.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat pierogi z kapustą i grzybami

Pierogi z kapustą i grzybami in Wrocław

Pierogarnia Stary Młyn ★ 4.1

Polish pierogi€€stare-miasto

Pierogarnia Stary Młyn sits on Wrocław's Rynek in the Tenement House Under the Golden Crown. Boiled, baked or fried pierogi to a long, varied filling list. The tourist favourite that locals still rate.

Signature: Pierogi ruskie, Pierogi z mięsem, Sweet cherry pierogi

Order: The pierogi sampler with ruskie, meat and sweet cherry, and a glass of buttermilk.

Tip: Order baked pierogi, not the boiled standard, for the crispier counter version locals usually take.

Rynek 29, 50-101 Wrocław Book →

Pierogarnia Rynek 26 ★ 4.0

Polish pierogi€€stare-miasto

Pierogarnia Rynek 26 takes the same square's tourist crowd as Stary Młyn and goes further with the filling list: shrimp, salmon, duck, classic ruskie. A small, kind room.

Signature: Shrimp pierogi, Salmon pierogi, Pierogi ruskie

Order: The shrimp pierogi, a Wrocław outlier and the room's best seller.

Tip: Lunch (12:00-14:00) runs a 35 zł plate-of-the-day with soup and a basic pierogi mix.

Rynek 26, 50-101 Wrocław Book →

Bar Pierożek ★ 4.0

Bar Pierożek in Wrocław's Nadodrze is basic-seating pierogi at sub-30-zł plate prices. The cheapest hot dumplings in town that don't compromise on quality.

Try: Pierogi

Order: A dozen pierogi ruskie with a glass of cranberry kompot, total around 28 zł.

Tip: Lunch deal Mon-Fri before 14:00; one of the cheapest hot meals in central Wrocław.

ul. Księcia Józefa Poniatowskiego 3, 50-326 Wrocław

More cities are in research. Want pierogi z kapustą i grzybami covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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