Polish - Stuffed Pyzy (Potato Dumplings Stuffed with Meat)

[Olga Drozd]

Polish - Stuffed Pyzy (Potato Dumplings Stuffed with Meat)

Pyzy are made from raw potato, bound with cooked potato.  They take slightly longer to cook than other dumplings, but have a different flavor and texture that warrants the method.  This recipe uses a cooked ground meat filling - a raw meat filling may be used, but the dumplings would take even longer to cook, and there is a danger of the potato mixture disintegrating.  You may use other fillings equally successfully.

2 potatoes, total weight 1 pound
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

FILLING:

3/4 pound ground cooked meat
1/2 small onion, grated
1 mashed garlic clove
2 to 3 Tablespoons good stock or gravy

4 ounces pork fat back OR 8 slices rindless fatty bacon, diced
A little fat or butter

Boil ONE potato in its skin until tender - about 20 minutes.  Drain, cool, then peel.  Rub the potato through a strainer.

Peel and grate the SECOND raw potato.  Rinse it and squeeze all the water from the shreds.

Mix the cooked and uncooked potato with the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper.  Beat the mixture well so that it combines to a soft dough.

For the filling mix the ground cooked meat, grated onion, mashed garlic clove and stock or gravy.

Divide the potato mixture into eight.  Flour your hands, take a portion of potato, and flatten it on the palm of your hand into a patty.  Place an eighth of the filling on the patty, then mold the potato around it to enclose it completely.  The outside of the dumpling, should be smooth, and the mixture should feel firmly bound together.  This can be achieved by gently molding.  Shape the other dumplings in the same way.  Bring a saucepan of water to simmering point.  Cook the dumplings at a steady simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.  The pyzy will rise to the surface when cooked.  They should look slightly glossy and feel firm.  If any of the shreds of potato begin to separate from the dumplings, they are overcooking and will disintegrate soon, so lift them out of the water immediately.  While the dumplings are cooking, brown the bacon in the fat. NOTE: If desired, finely chopped onions can be fried together with the bacon for an extra layer of flavor.. Transfer the dumplings to a warmed serving dish, and top with the bacon and fat.  Serve at once.   Serves 4.

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