Pierogi z Kapustą i Grzybami

The story

Wigilia supper traditionally consists of twelve dishes, one for each of the twelve apostles, and pierogi filled with sauerkraut and mushrooms are almost always among them, in keeping with the fasting rule that keeps meat off the table that evening. The dough is rolled thin and filled with a small amount of stuffing, and the edges are carefully pinched shut with fingers or a fork — a job that in many families becomes an evening get-together just before Wigilia, when several generations gather at the table to shape hundreds of pierogi ahead of time. Alongside this meatless version there are plenty of other fillings — potato and cheese, meat, fruit for a sweet version — but it is the pairing of sauerkraut and mushrooms that is most closely tied to Wigilia itself. A space for the unexpected guest is left both at the table and, symbolically, in the pierogi pot: a few more are always boiled than are needed.