Caribbean Stew Over Pierogies Recipes

FROZEN RAVIOLI PIEROGIES

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the ravioli and cook until slightly underdone, 8 to 9 minutes (the cook time will depend on the ravioli size).
• Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, nutmeg and onions and cook until the onions are translucent and the sausage is done, about 10 minutes. Remove the sausage and onions with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the cooked ravioli to the pan and fry in the sausage fat (add 2 more tablespoons butter if the pan is dry) until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion-sausage mixture back in along with the sour cream and cook for 2 minutes. Finish with parsley and serve immediately.

POTATO AND JALAPENO PEPPER PIEROGIES

Steps:

• To make Pierogie Dough: Combine all ingredients and mix well. Knead dough on flat surface for approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Let dough rest for 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight; the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• Roll out dough into a thin sheet, approximately 1/4-inch thick. Then cut in circles: 2 inches for small pierogies and 3 1/2 inches for large pierogies. Fill circles with desired filling. Pinch the edges well and cook them in rapidly boiling water for approximately 10 minutes. Drain and serve immediately with butter. If you decide to store them, dip them in cold water, drain, and let them cool on a cookie sheet. When completely cool, store them in refrigerator.
• To make Jalapeno Filling: Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Add salt, bring to a boil over high heat, and cook until potatoes are soft. When potatoes are done, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft; you can continue cooking until onions are caramelized if you so desire. Drain the potatoes and mash them. Add the cooked onion and jalapeno and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Continue mashing until blended. Let filling cool. Use 1 tablespoon of filling to fill the circles of dough as directed above.

BUFFALO PIEROGIES

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven (making sure it is no more than two-thirds full) to 375 degrees F.
• As the oil comes to temperature, make the buffalo sauce. Combine the hot sauce, butter and cayenne in a small saucepan over medium heat; keep warm.
• Fry the pierogies in two batches of 12. (The oil will pop and foam at first, but will settle in about 1 minute. Watch the temperature to try to maintain the heat, as frozen pierogies will initially drop the temperature by about 30 degrees.) Fry until golden brown, about 6 minutes, then drain on a sheet tray lined with a wire rack. While the pierogies are still warm, toss them in the buffalo sauce and serve on platter drizzled with the Blue Cheese Dressing.
• Combine the sour cream, blue cheese, mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl.

PIEROGIES

Steps:

• Combine the flour, milk and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Pulse until the dough forms into a ball.
• Roll out the dough on a floured board and cut into 2 1/2- by 2 1/2-inch squares. Drop about 2 teaspoons of mashed potato in the center of a dough square. Dip a finger in water, run it around the edge of the square, fold the potato inside and pinch the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and potato filling. Place the finished pierogies onto floured sheet pans.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and drop the pierogies in. When they all float to the top, they are done, 3 to 4 minutes. Strain and place in a bowl.
• While the pierogies are cooking, in large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and saute until medium brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour over the pierogies, gently toss and serve.

VARENIKI- UKRANIAN PIEROGIES

Steps:

• In a food processor, blend the flour and the salt. With the motor running, add the egg and the oil, and then pour the water in a slow, steady stream until the dough forms a ball around the blade. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for about 2 minutes, until smooth. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 2 balls. On a floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll out one of the balls very thinly, to about 1/16th of an inch, making sure that it doesn't tear. With a cookie cutter, or a cup, cut out circles about 3 inches in diameter. Place a heaping teaspoon of the desired filling in the middle of a circle. Fold the dough over to form a semi-circle. Brush the edges with the egg and press firmly with the tines of the fork to seal. Place the vareniki as they are made on a large, lightly floured, platter, and cover with a damp cloth, while making the next batch. Repeat with the second ball of dough. Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderate and carefully lower half of the vareniki into the water. Boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until they rise to the surface, about 6 to 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, carefully remove the vareniki into a colander and drain thoroughly. Transfer into a deep serving bowl and toss with half of the butter.
• In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and saute the onion until deeply colored, about 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Add the Sauteed onion along with the cooking fat and mix well. Fill the vareniki and cook as directed.
• In a large skillet, saute the bacon over medium heat until it renders its fat. Remove the bacon and drain all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until nicely browned. Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the sauerkraut and saute, stirring until limp and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the sugar and broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature before filling. Use the reserved bacon for topping.;
• Combine all the filling ingredients and mix thoroughly. Fill and cook as directed. This filling can be either sweet or savory, so add salt or sugar, accordingly. Serve with sour cream and confectioners' sugar, if sweet.

DUCK AND POTATO PIEROGIES

Steps:

• For the pierogi dough: Add sour cream, salt, eggs and 1 cup water to a 4-quart or larger mixer with a dough hook attachment. Mix on medium to low speed until thoroughly combined.
• Turn speed to low and slowly add the flour in 1-cup increments. Push down dough on sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Allow each cup to thoroughly mix in before adding the next cup. Add last cup slowly.
• Dough should begin to pull away cleanly from the sides and bottom of the bowl. If it doesn't, slowly add more flour until it does. If your dough is too dry, add a little water to moisten. Once dough pulls away cleanly from the sides and bottom of the bowl, allow the dough hook to knead the dough until lightly tacky and soft, about 4 minutes.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
• For the duck confit: Mix salt, both sugars and sumac in a large mixing bowl by hand until thoroughly combined.
• Pat dry duck legs and rub with crushed juniper berries and crushed garlic. Set legs aside.
• Cover the bottom of a deep-walled baking dish large enough to hold the legs in a single layer with 1 quart of the salt-sugar mixture, ensuring that the bottom of the dish is covered (add more mixture if necessary).
• Put half of the fresh thyme sprigs down on top of the mixture. Snugly fit the rubbed duck legs in the mixture in a single layer. Cover with any remaining garlic or juniper berries that may have fallen off during placement. Cover the duck legs with the remaining fresh thyme. Pack with remaining salt-sugar mixture until meat of the dug legs is completely covered. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Remove duck legs from refrigerator and gently rinse each leg over a sink running cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside.
• Place duck legs in a pot on stovetop and cover with schmaltz. Simmer on low heat until the meat pulls easily from the bone, about 2 hours. Pull duck legs from pot and allow to cool. Reserve oil.
• Pull the meat from the bone and rough chop the duck leg meat. Reserve the bones.
• For the duck stock: Place reserved bones in a 4- to 6-quart stockpot with the carrots, celery and onion. Add enough water to cover the bones and vegetables (about 4 quarts), then add the bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring just to boil and immediately adjust heat to low. Allow to simmer on low for 3 to 4 hours. Strain off bones and vegetables, reserving the dug leg stock.
• For the pierogies: Cover potatoes with 1 quart duck stock or enough stock to cover. Bring potatoes to a boil, then immediately lower heat to medium. Simmer the potatoes until they are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Strain and spread on a sheet tray.
• Sprinkle potatoes with 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt and allow to cool. Place potatoes and chopped duck leg meat in a mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup reserved oil from the duck leg confit and fold in green onions. Taste filling and adjust seasoning if necessary.
• Remove dough from refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Unwrap and quarter the dough with a bench scraper. Cover the remaining 3 quarters of dough with a towel while you work on the first quarter.
• Roll the dough on a floured surface into an even sheet about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out dough discs using a 3- to 4-inch biscuit cutter.
• Combine cornstarch and 1 cup water in a bowl. Moisten each disc with a thin layer of the cornstarch slurry. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each disc. Gently pick up each disc by the sides, then pinch the dough around the filling. Pinch dough closed, sealing the filling inside. Place filled pierogies on a generously-floured sheet tray.
• Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, gently place the pierogies in the boiling water. Return water to a boil and allow pierogies to boil until floating and warmed through, 10 to 15 minutes. Pull pierogies from the water and allow to dry slightly. (At this point you may refrigerate or freeze any pierogies you aren't planning on using.)
• Prepare a saute pan over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil from the duck leg confit. Carefully fry the pierogies until the sides are light brown and crusty.
• Serve with Pierogi Sauce.
• For the roast tomato ketchup: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Toss tomatoes with oil, garlic, salt, basil, oregano and pepper and place on a sheet tray. Roast until tomatoes are half their size and browned, about 1 hour.
• Puree tomatoes and any remaining liquid in a food processor with tomato paste until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• For the sauce: Prepare a large saucepan at medium-high heat. Add duck fat to saucepan.
• Saute mushrooms in saucepan until browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons roast tomato ketchup (save the remainder for another use) and lightly brown the ketchup, 3 minutes. Add blanched carrots, celery, onion and duck stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat until reduced by half. Season to taste.

JIM HARRISON'S CARIBBEAN STEW

Steps:

• Place spareribs in a pot, and cover with water. Place pot over high heat, and bring to a boil. Lower heat slightly, and cook, covered, for 15 or 20 minutes, then remove ribs to a large bowl and discard the water.
• While the ribs cook, pour the oil into a Dutch oven set over high heat, and swirl it around. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, and when the oil begins to shimmer and is about to smoke, add them to the pan, skin-side down. Brown the chicken aggressively, about 5 to 7 minutes per side, then add the chicken to the bowl with the ribs. Repeat with the sausages, browning them on all sides for approximately 5 to 7 minutes, then add to the bowl with the chicken and the ribs. Cook the onions and garlic in the fat remaining in the Dutch oven, stirring occasionally until they soften and begin to brown, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
• Heat oven to 300. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, lemon juice, hot-pepper sauce, chicken stock, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chile powder and paprika to the onions and garlic in the Dutch oven, then stir to combine, and allow to cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the meats to the Dutch oven, stirring and tossing them so that they are well covered with the sauce, then cover the pot, and place in the oven to cook, undisturbed, for approximately 90 minutes, or until the meats are tender and, in the case of the chicken and the ribs, pulling from the bone.