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Family-Style Pierogi, step by step

It takes a Plamondon-McNamara village to make their cabbage-and-onion Family-Style Pierogi each year at the holidays. Here’s how the assembly goes, which is done at the home of grandparents Peter and Lorrie and Plamondon in Germantown:

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Flour, salt, eggs and evaporated milk mixed with warm water are used to form the pierogi dough. At this point, the women would already have made the fillings, which would include potato, cheese, and cabbage and onion.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

The dough is kneaded until it loses its stickiness and becomes elastic.

The dough is kneaded until it loses its stickiness and becomes elastic.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

The women roll the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch.

The women roll the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

Lorrie Plamondon found that an old-fashioned glass in her cupboard was the right size to use a cutter: about 3 inches.

Lorrie Plamondon found that an old-fashioned glass in her cupboard was the right size to use a cutter: about 3 inches.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

They lay the disks of dough on baking sheets lined with wax paper.

They lay the disks of dough on baking sheets lined with wax paper.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

Elizabeth McNamara and her mother, Anne McNamara, stretch each disk of dough. The cooled cabbage-onion filling stands at the ready; it's Grandmother Lorrie's favorite kind.

Elizabeth McNamara and her mother, Anne McNamara, stretch each disk of dough. The cooled cabbage-onion filling stands at the ready; it's Grandmother Lorrie's favorite kind.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

Here's what they don't want to see: A transparent spot or tear in the disk of dough. You can reroll the dough as needed.

Here's what they don't want to see: A transparent spot or tear in the disk of dough. You can reroll the dough as needed.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

The dough is elastic and may shrink back a bit, but the women are looking for a final diameter of about 4 inches for each disk.

The dough is elastic and may shrink back a bit, but the women are looking for a final diameter of about 4 inches for each disk.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

No more than 2 tablespoons of the cabbage-onion filling are placed at the center of each disk of dough.

No more than 2 tablespoons of the cabbage-onion filling are placed at the center of each disk of dough.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

The disk is folded to create a half-moon shape, which is then assiduously pinched at the edges to form a tight seal.

The disk is folded to create a half-moon shape, which is then assiduously pinched at the edges to form a tight seal.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

The women use the tines of a fork to ensure tightly sealed edges of each pierogi.

The women use the tines of a fork to ensure tightly sealed edges of each pierogi.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

The pierogi are cooked in batches (20 to 25 at a time) in salted boiling water. If any of the dumplings break open and their contents escape, Lorrie Plamondon says, the water must be dumped out and a new pot must be put on.

The pierogi are cooked in batches (20 to 25 at a time) in salted boiling water. If any of the dumplings break open and their contents escape, Lorrie Plamondon says, the water must be dumped out and a new pot must be put on.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

Once the pierogi have risen to the surface and appear shiny and slightly puffed, Anne McNamara transfers them to a colander, as her mother, Lorrie Plamondon and daughter, Elizabeth McNamara, supervise.

Once the pierogi have risen to the surface and appear shiny and slightly puffed, Anne McNamara transfers them to a colander, as her mother, Lorrie Plamondon and daughter, Elizabeth McNamara, supervise.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

To speed up the cooling process (in order to eat the pierogi sooner rather than later), Lorrie Plamondon rinses them under cool water before setting them on towels to dry thoroughly.

To speed up the cooling process (in order to eat the pierogi sooner rather than later), Lorrie Plamondon rinses them under cool water before setting them on towels to dry thoroughly.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

The pierogi must be dried completely on both sides (for about 30 minutes) before they are stored or cooked further.

The pierogi must be dried completely on both sides (for about 30 minutes) before they are stored or cooked further.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

The last step: Grandmother Lorrie melts butter on an electric griddle and sautes each batch of pierogi until they are golden brown at the edges.

The last step: Grandmother Lorrie melts butter on an electric griddle and sautes each batch of pierogi until they are golden brown at the edges.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

The Plamondon-McNamara family often serve their pierogi with Polish sausage made in New York Mills, N.Y. You can find the recipe for Family-Style Pierogi at washingtonpost.com/recipes.

The Plamondon-McNamara family often serve their pierogi with Polish sausage made in New York Mills, N.Y. You can find the recipe for Family-Style Pierogi at washingtonpost.com/recipes.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

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