Varenyky z Brynzoyu (вареники з бринзою, sheep cheese dumplings)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •A wide mixing bowl
• •A rolling pin
• •An 8cm cutter or drinking glass
• •A large wide pot
• •A slotted spoon
• •A sheet tray for freezing or holding folded varenyky

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Tip the flour and salt into a wide bowl. Pour in the hot water and sunflower oil, then stir with a wooden spoon until the dough looks shaggy and too hot for your hands. When it has cooled to warm, knead until smooth and soft, with a slow spring under your palm. Cover and rest until it rolls without fighting you.

   Hot water makes a tender, flexible dough around the salty filling. The rest is what keeps the edges from springing open, so give it that patience.
2. 2

   Dry the potatoes

   Simmer the potato chunks in salted water until a knife slides through without pressure. Drain them well, return them to the warm pot, and shake until the outside looks floury and dry. Mash smooth, then spread the mash on a plate to cool. Wet potato makes the filling weep.

3. 3

   Mix the filling

   Crumble the brynza into the cooled potato, add the dill and black pepper, and work it together with a fork until it holds in soft clumps. Taste before you even think about salt; good brynza has already done that job. If the filling cracks apart and refuses to mound, add the spoon of smetana, but keep it firm.

   The potato is a cushion, not a hiding place. It catches the brine so the cheese stays sharp without flooding the seams.
4. 4

   Roll and cut

   Lightly flour the table and divide the dough in two. Keep one half covered while you roll the other thin enough to see the shadow of your fingers through it. Cut circles about 8cm wide with a cutter or a drinking glass. Let the scraps rest before rolling them again; tired dough behaves better after a little silence.

5. 5

   Fill and seal

   Put a rounded teaspoon of filling in the centre of each circle, fold into a half-moon, and press from the centre outward so the air escapes before you pinch the edge shut. If the edge has picked up too much flour, touch it with a damp finger. Lay the varenyky on a lightly oiled or floured tray, not touching. My hands remember triangles from grandmother Vira, but for this mountain filling half-moons are easy and generous.

   A torn one is not a tragedy. Pinch it flat, cook it first, and call it the cook's tax.
6. 6

   Sweeten the onions

   Melt the butter with the sunflower oil in a wide pan, then add the onions and a small pinch of salt. Cook low and unhurried until the onions slump, shine, and smell sweet instead of raw, with gold at the edges. The oil keeps the butter from catching; the onion sweetness rounds the brynza's salt.

7. 7

   Boil and serve

   Bring a wide pot of salted water to a boil, then lower it to a lively simmer. Slide in the varenyky in batches and stir once so none settle on the bottom. When they float and the dough looks plump and smooth, let them bob for one quiet minute, then lift them straight into the onion butter. Toss gently until glossy. Serve with smetana and more dill.

Chef Tips

• •Brynza changes from village to village and shop to shop. Taste it first. If it is fiercely salty, rinse it quickly or soak it in cold water for 15 minutes, then drain it very well before mixing.
• •Sheep feta can stand in when brynza is impossible to find. Crumble, taste, and let the potato soften it. Cow-milk brynza is gentler, a bit more modern on this table.
• •The dough rest and dry potato matter. The exact fold forgives you. A sealed dumpling with no trapped air is better than a beautiful one that bursts.
• •For a dairy-free table, keep the varenyky dough and fill it with buckwheat, mushrooms, and fried onions. The dish changes, but the table still feeds everyone.
• •Freeze uncooked varenyky on a tray, then bag them once solid. Boil from frozen and give them a little longer after they float.

Advance Preparation

• •The filling can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Let it soften slightly before folding.
• •The dough can rest for several hours in the fridge, tightly covered. Bring it back to room temperature before rolling.
• •Filled uncooked varenyky freeze well. Arrange them on a floured tray until solid, then store in a bag for up to 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 320g)