Instructions

• step 1 First, make the crispy shallots
• Heat the oil in a saucepan to 180C (a cube of bread will turn golden in 15 secs)
• Toss the shallots in a little flour and deep-fry for 1 min or until light golden and crispy
• Drain on kitchen paper
• Can be made up to two days before and kept in an airtight container
• step 2 To make the filling, heat the oil in a medium non-stick frying pan and gently fry the shallots for 10 mins until starting to turn golden
• step 3 Add the sauerkraut and cabbage, and cook for 5-10 mins until the cabbage has softened
• Taste and add a little salt if under-seasoned, or sugar if stringent
• Scrape into a bowl and leave to cool completely
• step 4 To make the dough, mix the eggs and oil with 125ml water, then gradually add in the flour, mixing well with your hands
• Knead it on a well-floured surface until the dough stops sticking to your hands
• You should end up with firm, elastic dough
• Wrap it in cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 30 mins, or overnight
• step 5 Flour your work surface generously
• Roll out the dough to a 40cm circle or until the dough is as thick as £1 coin
• step 6 Using a 9cm cookie cutter, cut out discs in the dough – you should end up with about 25 discs
• Do not throw away the off-cuts – we throw them in with the pierogi when boiling to minimise any waste
• step 7 Have a well-floured tray ready
• Put 1 tsp of the filling into the centre of each disc
• In your hand, fold in half around the filling and seal to create half-moon shapes
• Put them on the floured tray, making sure they don’t touch each other
• step 8 Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and carefully lower the pierogi in
• Boil them for 2 mins or until they float to the top
• step 9 Drain and serve with a knob of butter and some soured cream
• Finish by sprinkling the crispy shallots on top to serve