When Lindsay Anderson and Dana VanVeller set off on their road trip across Canada, they aimed to explore regional food food and answer, "What is Canadian food?" But what they got was a lot more: stories and recipes from coast to coast that reveal the culture and people of our country.
Renée Kohlman, the Saskatoon-based chef/blogger behind Sweetsugarbean, created this sweet perogy recipe for the book, using summer sour cherries from the Prairies.
Excerpted from Feast: Recipes and Stories from a Canadian Roadtrip by Lindsay Anderson and Dana VanVeller. Copyright © 2017 Lindsay Anderson and Dana VanVeller. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
Sour cherry compote
For the compote, combine the fresh or frozen cher- ries, sugar, vinegar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until reduced and slightly thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. It will firm up as it cools. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Perogy dough
For the perogy dough, beat the eggs, water, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the flour 1 cup (150 g) at a time, and mix just until a firm, yet soft and workable, dough forms. The dough should be pliable enough to roll out, but not overworked. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth. Shape into a ball and allow the dough to rest under an overturned bowl for 20 minutes.
Farmstead cream
To make the farmstand cream, add the sugar to the whipping cream, and whip until soft peaks form. Fold in the sour cream and refrigerate until ready to use.
Assembly
Add 1 heaping tsp (5 mL) of sour cherry compote and 1 heaping tsp (5 mL) of ricotta cheese to the centre of each circle. Using your fingers, lightly brush the edges of the dough with water and fold it over. Press the edges together with your fingers, or use a fork to seal them. Repeat the process until all the dough is gone— you should end up with about 25 to 30 perogies.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While the water is heating up, prepare a plate lined with a few paper towels.
Add about 10 perogies to the water at a time and boil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they float to the surface. Remove the perogies with a slotted spoon and trans- fer to the plate with paper towels to drain. You can eat them like this, warm with farmstand cream, but they taste even better when pan-fried for a few minutes!
If pan-frying, add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Place the perogies directly into the hot butter. Fry in an even layer, about 2 minutes per side, until golden and crispy. Continue cooking this way until all the perogies are done. Serve warm with a gen- erous dollop of farmstand cream.
