Ingredients

Dough:
2 – 2 ½ cups plain flour
1 large free range egg
1 tsp salt
about 1 cup lukewarm water
Filling:
800 g mashing potatoes, boiled in their skins
1 small onion, minced
Butter
200 g cottage cheese
1/2 csabai, finely diced
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
To serve:
Sour cream
1 onion, sliced
Butter
Smoked paprika
Chopped parsley

Directions

Place 2 cups flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Crack in the egg, add the salt and a little lukewarm water. Bring the dough together, adding more flour and water as necessary. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Cover and let rest while you make the filling. In a saucepan, melt some butter and sauté the chopped onion until soft. Add the csabai and cook for about 5 minutes until it has a little colour and has flavoured the onions. Peel the potatoes and use a potato ricer to crush them. Add the onion mixture and the cheese and stir well. Season to taste. On a floured work surface, roll the dough out to 3mm thick and cut into circles. Place a heaped teaspoon of filling into the middle of the circle. Fold the dough in half and pinch edges together. Place the filled pierogi on a baking tray sprinkled with flour and cover with a tea towel. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. In batches, cook the pierogi. When they rise to the surface of the water, simmer for a few minutes more. Remove with a slotted spoon. Melt some butter in a frying pan and sauté the sliced onion until just cooked. Add the pierogi and fry gently until they have a little colour. Transfer to a serving platter, spooning the butter over the top. Dollop a big spoonful of sour cream in the centre and sprinkle lightly with paprika and parsley.