Irish stuffing

Corned beef and cabbage pierogies for St. Patrick’s Day

I’ve been thinking a lot about pierogies lately, given we’re smack in the middle of the six-week Lenten period and you find the potatostuffed dumplings at virtually every Friday night fish fry.

Watching parishioners in McKees Rocks stuff and pinch hundreds of “pirohi” for a recent story further whetted my appetite. I’d forgotten how much I love this Eastern European comfort food, and how easy it is to make them, once you find the right dough recipe and can set aside an hour to assemble them.

With St. Patrick’s Day upon us, I decided to do a pierogi take on the classic Irish American dish, corned beef and cabbage.

My go-to recipe for pierogi dough comes from Casey Barber’s 2015 cookbook “Pierogi Love.” Soft and super stretchy, it’s easy for even novice cooks to work with. For the filling, I combined homemade cheesy mashed potatoes with shredded green cabbage cooked in butter and bite-sized pieces of corned beef from the deli.

It might take you a few tries to get the hang of it, but no worries: Even misshapen pierogies taste great! Just be sure to allow the dough to rest for at least 15 minutes before rolling it, and keep the unused portion covered with plastic or a towel so it doesn’t dry out. If you boil them, you’ll know they’re done when they float. You also can pan fry them in butter. Just be sure not to crowd the pan or they’ll stick together.

Don’t care so much for Irish flavors? Pierogies can be stuffed with just about anything the cook’s heart desires, both sweet and savory, so feel free to experiment with other meats, cheeses and fruit combinations. They also freeze well, which makes for a satisfying lastminute dish on nights when all you want is something quick and hearty.