From-Scratch Mushroom Pierogi with Horseradish Cream

Info

• Cook time: 1 hour 50 minutes
• Time from start to finish: 3 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: 8 to 10

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

For the Filling

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 pounds mixed mushrooms, stems discarded, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
• 8 Idaho potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced, plus additional for cooking
• Salt and ground black pepper

For the Horseradish Crème Fraîche

• 2 cups crème fraîche (sour cream is a fine substitute)
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Instructions

1. Make the dough: In a bowl, combine the egg, sour cream, butter and salt by hand until a dough comes together. A slightly uneven mixture is fine — as with pie dough, overworking is the thing to avoid. Mound the flour on a work surface and form a well in the middle. Put the sour cream mixture into the well and use your hands to mix until a dough forms. Wrap it in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours, or as long as 2 days.
2. Make the filling: Get a large sauté pan very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil along with half the mushrooms. Cook them until they start to brown and give off their liquid, then stir in half the garlic, shallot and herbs and cook one minute more. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a large plate to cool. Repeat the process with the remaining oil, mushrooms, garlic, shallot and herbs.
3. Cook the potatoes: Place the potatoes in a pot, cover them with cold water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes mash easily, then drain. Pass them through a food mill with the butter, or mash them with the butter the way you usually make mashed potatoes. Season to taste.
4. Assemble: Stir all but 1 cup of the mushroom mixture into the mashed potatoes; the reserved cup is set aside to garnish the finished pierogi. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thick and cut it into 3-inch rounds. Place 1 tablespoon of filling on each round, fold the dough into half-moons, and seal the edges by pressing with a fork.
5. Boil: Bring 1 gallon of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the pierogi in batches of 10, waiting until they float. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and set them on a paper-towel-lined plate so the excess water drains away.
6. Make the sauce: In a bowl, whisk the crème fraîche and horseradish together.
7. Serve: Set a sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter, and add the pierogi a few at a time. Cook until browned on both sides. Plate with the reserved mushrooms and the horseradish crème fraîche.