Pierogi

This recipe from Maxime Szczepaniak, chef at Mandibule restaurant in Alixan, is taken from the special issue of Gault&Millau magazine, in which you can discover 109 chefs' recipes. These chefs have opened their establishments in the last 18 months and shared their favorite recipes with us. Discover the ingredients and preparation steps to make it easy.

• Serves 4
• Preparation time: 15 min
• Cooking time : 25 min
• Resting time: 12 h
• Difficulty: easy

Ingredients for Maxime Szczepaniak's pierogi

for the dough

• 500 g T65 flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon salt

For the filling

• 500 g potatoes
• 100 g fermented cabbage
• 100 g mushrooms, finely sliced
• 2 peeled garlic cloves
• 1 pinch savory (or thyme)
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 bunch parsley (or chives)
• 250 g fromage blanc (or fromage fermier frais)
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 60 g butter
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Steps for Maxime Szczepaniak's pierogi

1. Dough: The day before, pour the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the egg, salt and 25 cl warm water to the well. Mix the ingredients gradually with a wooden spoon or your hands until the dough begins to form. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic (approx. 5-7 min). Cover the dough with a clean cloth and leave to rest overnight in the fridge.
2. Stuffing: Peel the potatoes. Cook them whole in salted water with the garlic cloves, savory and rosemary until tender (approx. 15-20 min). Remove the sprigs of rosemary, savory and garlic. drain and mashed potato the potatoes to a smooth purée, adding the olive oil. In a frying pan, melt 20 g of butter over medium heat and sauté the shallot until golden. Add to the mashed potatoes and mix well. In the same pan, melt 20 g of butter over medium heat and sauté the button mushrooms until golden-brown, then add to the mashed potatoes. Add the fromage blanc and season with salt and pepper. Mix until the filling is smooth.
3. Pierogi: Divide the dough into several portions to make it easier to work with. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of dough to a thickness of 2-3 mm. Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut out circles of dough about 7-8 cm in diameter. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle. Fold the dough over to form half-moons and press the edges together to seal the pierogi. You can use a fork to seal and decorate the edges.
4. Finishing: In a large frying pan, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Add the pierogi and brown lightly on both sides. Serve to taste (here, the chef has added carrot purée with juniper berries, celery cream with whey and fermented apricot caramel).

Has this recipe inspired you to discover Maxime Szczepaniak's cuisine? Read the Gault&Millau review of Mandibule.

This article is taken from 109, Le Sang Neuf de la gastronomie française. Find this special issue on newsstands or in our online store.