My grandpap on my Dad’s side was a chef at the K & K in Carnegie, Pennsylvania. I never got to know him, but his sister told me she’d walk by the kitchen in the morning while they were serving breakfast. There was a window in the back where she would watch him cook. He loved to show off. He’d flip a pancake real high and catch it on his spatula. My grandpap was 100% Polish. His parents were from Warsaw. The pierogi recipe comes from his family.
My other granddad was the opposite. He was quiet and a fly fisherman. He’d take his fresh caught trout, wrap it in foil with loads of dill and lemon, and cook it on the campfire. My brother got the fisherman gene, but it skipped me. I still like to go, but I’m not good at all. I have only caught one fish to date, one small little fish, as you can (barely) see in the photo. I should have mounted that little guy. I guess I’m more like my dad’s dad in that sense. I have a better chance of catching a pancake on my spatula than a fish.
Trout with Dill Cream RECIPE
2 fillets of red mountain trout (freshly caught is obviously best, but don’t count on me…)
2 T vegetable oil
1/4 c sour cream
1/4 of a lemon, squeezed
1 T fresh dill leaves
salt and ground pepper
1. First mix the cream, lemon, a pinch of the dill, and salt in a small bowl. Refrigerate while you’re cooking, so the flavors can mix together.
2. Salt and pepper your fish.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and carefully add your fish. Lay the fillet in the pan away from you, so the oil doesn’t splatter onto you.
4. After a couple minutes, check to make sure it has a nice sear. Then flip the trout over. Continue cooking a few minutes more until desired degree of doneness.
5. Transfer to a plate and spoon on cream. Top with remaining dill leaves.
Potato Pierogi RECIPE
makes 2 dozen
For the filling:
2 c mashed potatoes
For the dough:
3 c flour
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 c milk
1 egg
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 tsp salt
For the sauce:
1/2 c butter
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
salt
1. Mix dough together, starting with the dry ingredients, then adding the wet.
2. Knead just until the dough comes together in a smooth mass.
3. Let the dough rest 20-30 min.
4. In the meantime, you can prepare your mashed potatoes. If you need a recipe, you can find one here.
5. Once the mashed potatoes have cooled, roll the dough out thinly, about a 1/4 in. You should be able to see through it slightly when you hold a piece up. If you have a pasta machine, you can use it to roll it more evenly.
6. Take a sheet of dough and drop a spoonful of potatoes in a line. If you want a visual, follow the “how to make ravioli” video I posted earlier. It’s the same process.
7. Wet the edges of the dough with a brush and fold the sheet in half.
8. Cut out half-moons using a circular cutter.
9. Boil the pierogi until they float.
10. Heat butter in a sauté pan.
11. Add onions and salt.
12. When the onions are translucent, add the pierogi. You can simply toss in the boiled pierogi and serve, or if you prefer a crispier pierogi, sauté until browned.