Sauerkraut Vareniki

About this dish

Sauerkraut was the winter vegetable of every Ukrainian cellar, and vareniki with it are a classic of the meatless table, including the Christmas Eve supper, where the meatless dishes are the point. The filling is sharp, so it is braised until mellow rather than used raw. They are best with plenty of fried onion or a spoonful of hot oil, since fat is what rounds the sourness.

• Vegetarian
• Not vegan because of Eggs, Sour cream, to serve
• Contains gluten because of Plain flour
• Contains dairy because of Sour cream, to serve

• 400gPlain flour
• 1pieceEggs
• 300mlWater
• 55mlSunflower oil
• 10gFine sea salt
• 500gSauerkraut
• 150gOnion
• 2gGround black pepper
• 150gSour cream, to serve (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the flour with a pinch of salt on the work surface and make a well. Add the egg, the oil and the warm water a little at a time, and knead for about 8 minutes into a smooth, soft dough that does not stick to your hands. Cover and leave to rest for 20 minutes.

   20 min

   Tip: Resting relaxes the gluten, so the dough rolls out thin without shrinking back and does not tear when you pinch it. Warm, not hot, water keeps it pliable; hot water would start cooking the egg.

2. 2

   Squeeze the sauerkraut dry and chop it. Soften the chopped onion in the oil, add the cabbage and a little water, cover and braise over a low heat for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and no longer sharp. Season with pepper and cool completely.

   30 min

   Tip: Squeezing and braising tame the acid and drive off water; wet cabbage ruins the seam. Rinse the cabbage first if it is very sour.

3. 3

   Roll the dough out to about 2 mm and cut rounds with a glass or a 7 cm cutter. Put a spoonful of filling in the middle of each round, fold it over and pinch the edge firmly shut, making sure no filling or juice is caught in the seam. Keep the dough you are not using covered.

   25 min

   Tip: A seam with any trace of filling on it will open in the boiling water. Covered dough stays soft; left in the open it dries at the edges and will not seal.

4. 4

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil and add the vareniki in batches, stirring once so they do not stick. When they float, cook for 3–4 minutes more, then lift out with a slotted spoon.

   5 min

   Tip: A large pot and small batches keep the water from going off the boil and the vareniki from sticking to one another. Floating means the dough is cooked through; the extra minutes cook the filling and set the seam.

5. 5

   Serve hot with a drizzle of the hot onion oil, and sour cream on the side.

   2 min

   Tip: A little fat rounds the sourness of the cabbage; cool sour cream softens the whole.