Baked Pierogi with Beef and Buckwheat Filling and Asparagus Purée

This is a fusion of two recipes: one for baked pierogi and one for buckwheat crepes. I combined different elements from both, and these pierogi (Polish dumplings) are the result. The rustic flavor and look of the pierogi seem to me to go wonderfully with the delicate asparagus purée.

The recipes were created by Kajka40 and Asia from Kwestia Smaku (my changes are minimal).

baked pierogi with beef and buckwheat filling and asparagus purée

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 250 g all-purpose flour (type 650)
• 250 g whole wheat flour
• 1 – 2 tsp instant yeast
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• 4 tbsp oil
• 1 – 1.5 cups lukewarm water (possibly more)
• flour for dusting the dough when rolling it out

Filling:

• 100 g buckwheat groats (1 boil-in-bag pouch)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 200 g ground beef
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• a pinch of ground caraway
• thyme
• 1 tbsp tomato sauce or ketchup
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 50 g gorgonzola or brie (I used Emmentaler)
• 3 tbsp grated Parmesan
• 1 egg

Asparagus purée:

• 500 g white asparagus
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 heaping tbsp butter
• salt

baked pierogi with beef and buckwheat filling and asparagus purée

Put the yeast, both flours, the salt and the sugar into a bowl and mix well. Make a well in the center and pour in 3/4 cup of the water and the oil, then mix the dough. Depending on the quality of your flour, add more water so that it comes together into a firm dough. Transfer it to a work surface and, dusting with more flour as needed, knead until smooth.

Put the dough back into the bowl, brush it with oil or sprinkle it with flour, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for about 2 hours (or until the dough doubles in volume).

Meanwhile, make the filling.

Cook the buckwheat for 18 minutes in salted water. Drain the pouch, rinse it with cold water and let it drip dry. Heat the olive oil in a skillet, then add the onion, the peeled and chopped garlic and the ground meat. Season with salt and pepper and fry over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the meat is cooked through. Add the parsley, the tomato sauce or ketchup and the Worcestershire sauce, and fry for about 4 more minutes, stirring from time to time. Finally, add the buckwheat, stir, season with salt, pepper and herbs, and fry everything together for 1 minute. Take the filling off the heat and mix it with the diced cheese, the Parmesan and the egg. Set aside.

When the dough has risen, knead it briefly again to get rid of the remaining gas, and divide it into 3 – 4 portions. Roll each portion out into a flat round, cut out circles, add the filling and fold them, i.e. seal the pierogi, but arrange them so that the seam is on top, so that each one can stand with the seam facing up.

Before baking, brush the pierogi with an egg beaten with 1 – 2 tbsp of water so that they brown nicely.

Place the egg-brushed pierogi in an oven preheated to 200°C (390°F) (top and bottom heat) for about 15 – 20 minutes, until the pierogi are beautifully browned.

While the pierogi are baking, make the purée. Rinse the asparagus and peel it along its entire length. Cut or snap off the woody ends. Cut the rest of the stalks into 4 cm pieces. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil with the butter. Add the stalks (without the tips), sprinkle with salt and cook the asparagus evenly for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring from time to time. Add the asparagus tips, cover and simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes, until the stalks are tender. If necessary, you can add a tablespoon of water. You can set a few asparagus tips aside for decoration; blend the rest, then press the purée through a sieve to get a smooth texture.

Serve the pierogi with the purée, preferably warm.

Enjoy!

I'm submitting this recipe to the "Asparagus Season" event.