Pirogi with mushrooms (Pierogi z Grzybami)

Pani Anna's pirogi are an example of how nearby Russia has influenced Polish cuisine.In Russia, they are baked or fried and served with borsht. The name of these pasta pockets, or dumplings, comes from "pir", which means "feast" -- where only special food comes to the table.

Serves 6

Ingredients for the dough:

500 g flour
200 ml sour milk
2 eggs
1 pinch salt

Mushroom Filling:

500g fresh boletus edilus
1 large onion
100 g bacon
100 g breadcrumbs
2 eggs
salt, pepper

Onion-Butter Sauce:

2 large onions
125 g butter

Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the other ingredients and knead with the flour into dough. Let stand for 30 min. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth. Cut off the ends of the stems and boil in a little saltwater for 10 min. until they are soft. Pour off the water and let them drip dry, then run them through a grinder at the finest setting. Peel the onions and chop them finely. Chop the bacon into small pieces. Melt the fat in a heavy pan over a low flame, then sauté the onions in the fat until glassy. Mix well with the breadcrumbs, eggs, and mushrooms. Season the filling to taste with salt and pepper.

Roll out the dough 6-7 mm thick on a floured surface and cut dough circles about 8 cm in diameter. Knead the rest of the dough together, roll it out again, and cut more dough circles. Put a teaspoon of filling on each dough circle and form each into a semi-circular pasta dumpling, pressing the edges together firmly. Fold over the corners. Boil the pasta pockets in saltwater for about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well. Serve with butter and onions.

For the butter and onion sauce: peel the remaining onions, chop them finely and sauté in butter over a low flame till glassy. Careful with the heat! -- the butter shouldn't turn brown.