Lazy Potato Vareniki

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make lazy potato vareniki? Gather your ingredients. You can cook mashed potatoes specially for the vareniki, or use leftover mash from dinner. I'm making half a batch. The potato weight given is after peeling. The amount of flour is approximate — how much you need, you'll judge by the dough.

2. Step 2:

   

   How do you cook the potatoes? Wash and peel them, then cut them into pieces so they cook faster. Put them in a pot and cover with cold, clean water.

3. Step 3:

   

   Set the pot over medium heat, wait for it to boil, then turn the heat down. Cook the potatoes until tender, 20–25 minutes, depending on size and variety. Check doneness with a knife — it should pierce the pieces easily. There's no need to salt the potatoes; we'll do that when we knead the dough.

4. Step 4:

   

   Drain the water off the potatoes and mash them into a purée.

5. Step 5:

   

   Add a pat of butter and stir.

6. Step 6:

   

   Beat the eggs into the mash, add salt and pepper to taste. Stir again until smooth. You can use a mixer; a spoon was enough for me.

7. Step 7:

   

   Start adding the flour in small portions, kneading the dough after each addition. Watch how the dough comes together to judge whether to add more flour. Too much flour will make the vareniki tough and bland.

8. Step 8:

   

   The dough will get fairly thick but will still stick to your hands a little.

9. Step 9:

   

   Take a portion of the dough, put it on a floured table or board, and roll it into a rope. Cut it into small pieces. For looks, you can press each piece a little with a fork. I left my vareniki as they were.

10. Step 10:

    

    Cook the vareniki. How do you cook lazy vareniki? Put a pot of clean water over the heat, bring it to a boil, and salt it. Drop the lazy vareniki into the water and be sure to stir them with a spoon, or they'll stick to the bottom. Wait for the vareniki to float to the surface and cook them for 3–4 minutes. Lift the cooked vareniki out with a slotted spoon and serve immediately. Don't cook too many at once — better to do it in batches, since a large amount can stick together.

11. Step 11:

    

    While the vareniki cook — or a little earlier — prep the onion. Peel it and cut it however you like; I cut it into cubes, but half-rings work too.

12. Step 12:

    

    Heat a skillet over low heat, add a small pat of butter, and then pour in a little vegetable oil. The vegetable oil keeps the butter from burning, since it has a higher smoke point. Add the onion to the hot fat. Fry the onion, stirring, over low heat until golden.

13. Step 13:

    

    Serve the vareniki topped with the butter-fried onion. These vareniki are also delicious with butter and sour cream. Enjoy!