Blueberry Pierogi are a popular dish in Poland especially during summer months when wild blueberries are in season. They are surprisingly delicious given that the filling consists almost entirely of a single ingredient - blueberries.
Combine dough ingredients: To a large bowl add the flour, salt, oil and gradually add the water stirring all the time to combine.
Knead dough: When the dough starts coming together transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 6 minutes until silky smooth and soft. Cover with a bowl and set aside for 20 minutes.
Make blueberry filling: To a bowl add the blueberries and cornstarch and stir very gently until thoroughly coated. If using fresh place the bowl in the fridge, if frozen put them back in the freezer (do NOT let them thaw).In the meantime bring to the boil a medium sized pot of salted water.
Roll out dough: Tear a small piece off the dough (about ⅙), place on a lightly floured surface and roll out thinly until it’s about 2-3 mm thick (keep the rest of the dough covered).
Cut out rounds: Using a cookie cutter or rim of a glass with a diameter of about 7cm/3in cut out round shapes. (Gather up the dough scraps and combine with the remaining dough). Place a spoonful of the blueberries in the centre of each round, away from the edges. Return the rest of the blueberries to the fridge/freezer.
Form pierogi: To form blueberry pierogi bring together the sides and seal the edge with your fingertips then pick up each dumpling and go over the edge with your fingertips one more time. Keep a sheet of paper towel handy so you can wipe your fingers if they get stained with the blueberry juice.Keep the pierogi on top of a lightly floured surface and cover with a tea towel. Cook each batch as soon as you've made it.
Boil pierogi: When the water starts to boil carefully put the dumplings in one by one (do not overcrowd the pot)and give a gentle stir with a wooden spoon. Cook gently for 5 minutes from the time the dumplings have come up to the top (they often contain a bit of air so come up to the surface quite quickly).
Serve: Remove from the heat, pour a cup of cold water over the pierogi and using a slotted spoon lift them out and place on top of a large plate. Drizzle over a little melted butter and serve immediately. (Alternatively cover with a bowl to keep them warm as you make another batch). Yields 45-50 pierogi
Notes
*Use wild/European blueberries (bilberries), either fresh or frozen. Supermarket blueberries are NOT a good alternative.
Knead the dough for about 6 minutes until very soft and smooth (this will produce softer pierogi). If the dough sticks to your hands add a bit of flour (no more than 1 teaspoon as this may make the dough a little tough).
Start boiling the water before forming the pierogi so you can cook them as soon as you've made them.
When forming the pierogi keep a sheet of paper towel handy so you can wipe your fingers if they get stained with the blueberry juice.
Make small batches of pierogi (6-7) at a time and cook them immediately (before the blueberries start releasing juice). Keep the blueberry mixture you aren't using in the fridge or freezer.
Best served immediately (all pierogi are!) but you can enjoy leftovers later. Coat in butter (to prevent them sticking to one another), cool completely and refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days.