Vareniki

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough: combine the plain flour and fine salt in a bowl. Add the egg and warm water, then mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic; if it feels sticky, dust very lightly with flour, but keep it fairly soft so the dumplings stay tender. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.

2. 2

   While the dough rests, cook the potatoes in well-salted boiling water for 12-15 minutes until completely tender. Drain very well, then return them to the hot pan for 30 seconds to steam off excess moisture; a dry filling is easier to seal inside the dumplings.

3. 3

   Mash the hot potatoes with the unsalted butter until smooth. Mix in the farmer's cheese or well-drained ricotta, fine salt, and ground black pepper. Let the filling cool for a few minutes until just warm, not hot, so it does not soften the dough when shaping.

4. 4

   Cook the onion topping: melt the unsalted butter in a frying pan over medium heat, add the yellow onion, and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft and golden. Lower the heat if it starts browning too fast; sweet, evenly cooked onion is traditional here. Set aside.

5. 5

   Roll the rested dough on a lightly floured surface to about 2 mm thick. Cut out rounds about 7-8 cm wide. Gather and reroll the scraps once. Keep the rounds covered with a towel so they do not dry out.

6. 6

   Shape the vareniki: place about 1 heaped teaspoon of filling in the center of each round. Fold into half-moons, pressing out any trapped air, then pinch the edges firmly to seal. If needed, moisten the edge with a fingertip dipped in water. Arrange the shaped dumplings on a lightly floured surface.

7. 7

   Bring a wide pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Cook the vareniki in 2 batches, stirring once after they go in so they do not stick. When they float, cook for 2-3 minutes more; the dough should be tender and the filling hot throughout. Lift out with a slotted spoon.

8. 8

   To serve, toss the hot vareniki with a little of the onion butter so they stay glossy and do not stick. Plate them, spoon over the remaining onion butter, add sour cream, and finish with chopped fresh dill.

Nutrition per serving

Notes

• •Farmer's cheese gives the most authentic texture; if using ricotta, drain it well first so the filling stays firm.
• •Do not overfill the dumplings or the seams may burst during boiling.
• •Vareniki can be shaped in advance and chilled on a floured tray for a few hours, or frozen solid and boiled from frozen with 1-2 extra minutes of cooking.
• •For a more traditional finish, some of the cooked onion can also be mixed into the filling once cooled.

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