Sheet-pan pierogies with kimchi and Brussels
Pierogies and kimchi roasted hard on one tray until both go dark and sticky.
At a Glance
Story
The unlikely hero here is the kimchi. Roast it hot and its sugars caramelize, the sour edge mellowing into something dark, sticky and savory that clings to the pierogi skins. It is the same browning that turns a raw onion sweet, just doing its work on fermented cabbage instead.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Brussels sproutstrimmed and halved
- 1 ½ cups cabbage kimchi
- 5 tbsp olive oilplus more for drizzling
- 2 × 13 oz package cheese or potato pierogiesfresh or frozen (no need to thaw)
- ½ lemonto serve
- chopped dillto serve
- ¾ cup crème fraîche
- ¼ cup dillchopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Method
The oven does nearly all of it. Pierogies roast to a crisp, blistered skin over a pillowy middle, no boiling first, while the kimchi caramelizes into the tray. A dill crème fraîche pulls it together, cool and green against the char, and it holds up cleaner than the sour cream this usually leans on.
- Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 400. Tip the Brussels sprouts and kimchi onto a rimmed sheet pan, a little kimchi juice along with them is all to the good. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil, season with salt and pepper and toss. Into the oven.
- Make the sauce: whisk the crème fraîche with the chopped dill, tablespoon of oil, lemon juice and salt. If it is too thick to drizzle, loosen with a splash of water.
- After 15 minutes, pull the pan and add the pierogies. Drizzle everything with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and toss with a spatula. Back into the oven until the sprouts are tender and the pierogies are puffed and golden, another 20 to 25 minutes. Leave them be, no flipping.
- Drizzle with a little more oil, scatter the dill and serve with the dill crème fraîche and a squeeze of lemon.
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