Good Friday tradition in my house, making homemade pierogies  This year, I added some crab bombs.  The pierogie recipe was handed down to me by my mother 30 years ago.  Today, my mom makes them with American Cheese but I continue to use white sharp cheddar.  Pierogies are a Coal Region staple in my area.  Below is the recipe for both the pierogies and the crab bombs.  Hope you enjoy!

 

PIEROGIES:

INGREDIENTS — DOUGH:

9 cups flour

1 1/2 sticks butter at room temperature, slightly soft

Water from boiled potatoes, cooled (about 2 cups)

Mix the butter into the flour and incorporate with your fingers.

Add cooled potato water a little at a time until all dough is mixed and not sticky.

If sticky, add small amount of flour.

 

FILLING: 

5 lbs. potatoes, cut and boiled until soft

1 lb. Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, grated

1 medium sized onion, diced fine and fried in pan with butter until soft.

Salt & pepper to taste.

 

DIRECTIONS:

After potatoes are boiled and soft, drain, add some salt and pepper, the cooked diced onion and grated cheese.  Mix with mixer.  Let cool a little bit.

Flour a large board or use your table.  (Make sure the table is clean!)

Divide dough into 6 balls.  Each ball should make a dozen pierogies.  Sometimes you only get 10, sometimes you get 13!  Roll into a nice big square, probably 15″ by 15″.  Have a small dish with water in it.

Use a small round plastic container or a lid from a jar such as Mayonnaise jar. Cut out 12 circles. Use rolling pin to go over each circle to stretch a bit.    Put a nice sized tablespoon of filling in center of each circle.  Put 1 or 2 fingers in water and wipe on outer edge around dough circle.  This will seal it.  Pull the top half of circle over the filing and to end.  Use a fork and make indentions around half circle to seal.  Lay on cookie sheet.

Have a large pot of water boiling with a teaspoon salt and a couple tablespoons oil added to the water.  After you roll and make a dozen, drop in the water.  They will rise to top when they are done.

Place in a deep pan.  Cover each layer with plastic wrap sprayed with Pam.

When ready to eat, add stick of butter to pan and fry yourself some sliced onions.   You may have to add more butter.  When onions are done, remove from pan, add more butter and heat up your pierogies.   Put them in a dish and pour the onions/butter mixture over the top.   Enjoy.  NOTE: You can freeze these.  Place them singly on a large cookie sheet sprayed with Pam and place in freezer until frozen.  You can then stick them in an airtight container or a freezer Ziploc bag.  To reheat, just throwing in boiling water frozen until they float.

CRAB BOMBS — INGREDIENTS:

1 16 oz. can crab, your choice

1 cup Panko or regular bread crumbs

1 egg lightly beaten

1 Tsp yellow mustard

1 Tbsp. Worchester sauce

1 Tsp Old Bay Seasoning

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or 1 1/2 Tbsp. dried

Juice of small lemon

 

DIRECTIONS: 

Mix the above and shape into balls.  Lay on cookie sheet

Stick in freezer to harden and make for easier frying.

Fill a Pot with a quart of vegetable oil.  When oil is hot enough, put the crab balls into the pot and fry about 3 to 4 minutes  They fry up fast.  I got 18 balls and they all fit in the pot at the same time.  Drain on paper towels.  Eat with a homemade tartar sauce or jarred one.