Fried - Mushroom Stuffed Yeast Pyrizhky (Smazhyni Hrybovy Pyrizhky)

[Olga Drozd]

UKRAINIAN - FRIED - MUSHROOM PYRIZHKY (SMAZHYNI  HRYBOVY PYRIZHKY):

The filling can be made a day or two ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. Do not make the dough too stiff, this is a soft dough.

FILLING:

1 to 1 1/2 ounces dried mushrooms (such as Boletes or Porcini)
2 pounds fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 large onions, chopped medium fine
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
3/4 cup reserved liquid from dried mushrooms (strained)
1/2 cup dry sherry

DOUGH:

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
4 cups all purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 Tablespoons instant yeast

Vegetable oil for shallow-frying

In a medium bowl place the dried mushrooms and add about 2 cups hot water.  Let stand for 1 hour, or until the mushrooms are very soft.

Drain the reconstituted mushrooms in a strainer set over a bowl, and squeeze gently to remove excess liquid; reserve the liquid.  Chop the mushrooms medium fine.  Strain the liquid through a paper coffee filter or paper towel to remove any grit, and measure 3/4 cup of the liquid to use in the filling.  Save remaining liquid for other uses.

Wash the fresh mushrooms and wipe dry with paper towel.  Cut the mushroom stems and caps into small dice, about 1/4 inch with a sharp knife. 

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until they turn golden and are slightly caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes.  Add the fresh mushrooms, stir well, and cover the pan.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their juices, have reduced in volume, and are very tender, 10 to 12 minutes.  Raise the heat to high and add the parsley, salt, pepper, and reconstituted mushrooms, along with the reserved 3/4 cup reserved mushroom liquid.  Cook, stirring, until the the liquid is almost completely absorbed but the mushrooms still look moist, about 5 minutes.  Add the sherry and continue cooking and stirring until the sherry is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes.  Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.  Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

Pyrizhky Dough:  Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Add the milk, sugar, and salt, stir well, and heat just until the liquid feels hot to your fingertip (120º F. to 130º F.)  Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs just to combine the yolks and whites.  Whisk in the hot liquid.

In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups of the flour and the dry instant yeast.  Add the egg mixture and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth.  Gradually stir in the remaining 2 cups flour with a wooden spoon to make a thick sticky dough.  Stir the dough with the spoon for 2 to 3 minutes to knead it slightly; the dough does not need to be kneaded actively because it should be tender rather than elastic.

Sprinkle your work surface with a few Tablespoons of flour and scrape the dough onto it.  Toss the dough about to coat it with the flour and knead it between your hands for just a few seconds to make sure it is smooth.  The dough will still be slightly sticky.  Wash and dry the mixing bowl and lightly oil it or coat with cooking spray.  Place the dough in the bowl, turn it over, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise until it has almost tripled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.

Gently deflate the dough by pulling in the sides and reshaping the dough into a ball.  Put a long sheet of plastic wrap on your counter and coat it lightly with cooking spray.  Divide the dough into 24 pieces. Shape each into a ball, placing them slightly apart on the plastic wrap.  Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.

Pat or roll a ball of dough out on a wooden board into an oval about 4 1/2 inches long, 3 1/2 inches wide, and 1/8 inch thick.  The dough should be very soft, easy to work with, and no longer sticky.  If it is sticky, lightly dust it with flour.  As you pat or roll it, lift it up and flip it over once or twice to make sure it isn't sticking to the board.  Measure a scant 1/4 cup of filling and place it in the center of the oval.  Shape the filling into a domed oval so that it extends to about 1 inch from the edges of dough along the sides and about 1/2 inch from the ends.  Lift the dough up and around the filling and pinch firmly to seal.

Place the pyrizhky seam side down on the plastic wrap.  Cover again with the towel.  Shape the remaining pyrizhky the same way, leaving space between them on the plastic wrap.  The pyrizhky should only become slightly puffy before cooking.

To cook the pyrizhky, heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat to between 350º and 360º F.  A digital probe thermometer does the best job of monitoring the temperature.

Line one or two large baking sheets with several thicknesses of paper towels.  When the oil is ready, slip 4 pyrizhky seam side down into the hot oil and cook for 2 minutes.  Carefully turn them over with tongs and cook for 2 minutes on the second side.  Because of the sugar in the dough, the pyrizhky will turn a dark brown.  Monitor the heat of the oil and adjust the heat as necessary.

Remove the pyrizhky from the oil with tongs, letting the excess oil drain back into the pan, and place them on the paper towels to drain further.  Cook the remaining pyrizhky 4 at a time.

Serve the pyrizhky warm, along with sour cream if you wish.  They can be cooked up to 1 to 2 hours ahead.  To reheat, put them in a single layer on unlined baking sheets and reheat in a preheated 400º F. oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

Pyrizhky can be frozen when completely cool. Arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet and freeze until solid.  Transfer to heavy duty resealable plastic bags and freeze for up to 1 month.  To serve, thaw the pyrizhky completely in their wrapping, then unwrap, arrange on baking sheets, and reheat in a preheated 350º F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes.