Perogies, pâté designed to tempt the palate

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/12/2009 (6101 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Today we have perogies and pâté that are a little different than the usual.

Marie Skrumeda was looking for a lost perogy recipe with cottage cheese in the dough that she had cut out of the Free Press many years ago. Thanks to Helen Pasieka who had also saved the recipe and sent in a copy. She writes that she has made them many times and that they are "yummy delicious." Thanks also to Florence Semeniuk of Pine River and June Miller of Sandy Hook for very similar recipes.

Elaine Cooke of Kenora had written that when she visited Portugal most restaurants served a sardine pâté as an appetizer and requested a recommended recipe. Two recipes that are quite different in flavour follow. Thanks to Marge Schmidt for the first version which includes cream cheese, and to Connie LeBlanc for the second version ,which includes apple. Thanks also to Linda Snider of Glenboro.

Another appetizer request comes from Les Williams who would like to duplicate something he tried in a restaurant. It was a baked round of brie with roasted garlic, sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts to be spread warm on a baguette.

Michelle Kulbaba is looking for a recipe she recalls from her childhood for a no-bake cookie that included oatmeal, cocoa and butter in the ingredients, and was rolled into small balls and then in icing sugar before being placed on a cookie sheet and chilled.

If you can help with a recipe request, have your own request, or a favourite recipe you’d like to share, send an email to recipeswap@freepress.mb.ca, fax it to 697-7412, or write to Recipe Swap, c/o Darlene Henderson, Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6. Please include your first and last name, address and telephone number.

 

Deep fried perogy 

1 litre (4 cups) flour
500 ml (2 cups) dry cottage cheese
5 ml (1 tsp) salt
5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder
60 ml (1/4 cup) corn oil
1 egg, well beaten
250 ml (1 cup) lukewarm water

Mix flour, cottage cheese, salt and baking powder until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add oil, egg and water. Knead until smooth. Let dough sit overnight in fridge, covered with a damp cloth.

Make potato filling as for other pyrohy.

Next day roll dough and cut into circles or squares. Place about a teaspoon of filling, fold over and pinch to seal. Deep fry in hot oil until slightly browned. Drain on paper towels. Don’t over fry as the pyrohy may pop open.

When cool can put in freezer bags. To reheat place frozen on cookie sheets and heat in oven for about 15 minutes.

Taste Tester Notes: This makes delicious deep fried perogy with a nice crunch. They are good served hot on their own or dipped in sour cream. You can use your favourite filling. I used a filling of mashed potato, old cheddar, fried onions, salt and pepper. (You will need about 1.35 kg/3 lbs of potatoes for the filling.) Readers suggested adding dill to the filling if desired, and the option of serving with a cream sauce. When ready to roll, take out as much dough as you can roll at once and keep the remainder covered. Roll on a lightly floured surface until about 3 mm (1/8-inch) thick. I cut into 7.5 cm (3-inch) rounds, which will hold about 15 ml (1 tbsp) of filling. Place the filling in the centre, keeping away from the edges. If your fingers start to become sticky while pinching, dip them in flour. Place a floured tea towel on a baking sheet to put pyrohy on as you make them, and cover with another tea towel while making the rest. I heated oil to 175 C (350 F) and deep fried the perogy for about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. This will make 5 to 6 dozen.

 

Sardine spread (I)

1 can sardines
2 green onions, chopped
30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
110 g (1/4 lb) soft butter
225 g (1/2 lb) cream cheese
2 hard cooked eggs, sieved
Juice of half a lemon
Salt, pepper and paprika to taste

Mix well. Can also use herring, salmon or tuna instead of sardines.

 

 

Sardine spread (II)

60 ml (1/4 cup) white vinegar
60 ml (1/4 cup) water
1 slice of rye bread (City bread is best or sourdough with caraway seeds)
1/2 medium onion, finely grated
1 medium apple, peeled and finely shredded
2 tins sardines, mashed (with the bones)
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
1 ml (1/4 tsp) sugar (or to taste)
Paprika (optional)
Finely chopped parsley (optional)

Mix vinegar and water. Break up the slice of bread and soak it in the vinegar and water for about 5-10 minutes.

Gently combine all ingredients and spread in a flat soup bowl. Taste and correct seasoning as required. Optional: sprinkle paprika and parsley on top. Can serve with toast points or crackers.

 

Taste Tester Notes: Both of these are good and you can choose the one that suits your taste. Serve as an appetizer with fresh bread, baguette rounds, crostini or crackers as desired.

The first version is very creamy, and the sardine flavour is more subtle. Let the cream cheese soften to room temperature before using (I used a 250 g package of cream cheese). You may find it easier to blend if you mix the softened butter and cream cheese together first before mixing in the other ingredients. Pressing the hard boiled eggs through the mesh of a sieve breaks it into fine bits very quickly and easily. For the second version, depending on the size of the slice of bread you used, if it has not soaked up all of the vinegar and water mixture, add a bit more bread as needed.