Pierogies in ancho butter
Ancho is not chipotle. No smoke at all, just dried fruit and a slow warmth, and it stains butter red.
At a Glance
Story
Ancho paste burns long before a frozen pierogi cooks through, so this one gets boiled first and the butter is only ever asked to brown it. The paste goes in at the very end, off the boil, for thirty seconds. The rule generalises: a chile paste joins a pan that is doing color, never a pan that is still doing the cooking.
Ingredients
- 14 oz potato and cheese pierogiesfrozen is correct
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp ancho chile paste
- 1 cup corn kernelsfrozen or cut from the cob
- 4 oz grape tomatoeshalved
- 1 limezest and juice
- ⅓ cup full-fat Greek yogurtcold
- 2 scallionsthinly sliced
- cilantrotorn, to finish
- saltpepper
Method
Everyone reaches for chipotle and gets smoke, which is a loud way to season anything. Ancho is the same chile family behaving itself, dried poblano, more raisin than bonfire, and in butter it goes the deep red of a flowerpot. The cold yogurt underneath earns its keep. Hot ancho butter wants something cold to land on.
- Boil the pierogies in well-salted water 3 to 4 minutes, until they float and give. Drain and spread them on a tea towel to dry properly. A wet pierogi will steam in the pan and never crisp, and this is the step everyone hurries.
- Dry pan on high, corn in and then leave it entirely alone 3 to 4 minutes, until it takes black spots and starts jumping. Tip it out.
- Butter into the same pan on medium-high. When it stops foaming, lay the pierogies in one layer and fry 2 to 3 minutes a side, until the edges go lacy and dark gold.
- Heat right down. Ancho paste and lime zest into the butter, 30 seconds, swirling, then tumble the pierogies through it until every one is coated. Tomatoes in off the heat so they warm and split but stay whole.
- Swipe the cold yogurt across two plates. Pierogies over it, corn scattered, scallions and cilantro, and the lime juice squeezed over everything at the table.
Pierogi series
The freezer's most agreeable dumpling, dressed up as dinners it has no business being.
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