PIROSHKI (RUSSIAN MINCE, POTATO AND ONION PIES)

Method

• Place the potatoes in a large saucepan of water. Bring to the boil. Cook for 30 mins or until tender and a knife easily passes through. Drain well. Use a potato masher to mash.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter and oil in a large deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 mins or until softened. Add the stock powder and mince. Cook, breaking up any clumps, for 8 mins or until meat is browned and cooked through. Season well with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Add the mash to the meat mixture and use a fork to fold in and combine (try not to mush it too much). Set aside to cool completely.
• To make the dough, whisk the water and egg in a jug. Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the salt and make a well in the centre. Add egg mixture to the well and stir until mixture comes together.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured benchtop. Use your hands to form a ball. Knead for several mins, until dough is smooth and silky. Halve the dough, then use hands to roll each portion into a 4cm-dia log. Use a knife to cut 1.5cm rounds from each log.
• Use a rolling pin to roll each dough round into a 10cm-dia circle (see note). Fill the centre of each dough circle with about 1 1/2 tbs of cooled mince mixture filling.
• One at a time, pick up the top and bottom edge of each dough circle until they meet. Use your thumb and index finger to pinch edges together from the centre out to the sides to completely seal the filling inside the dough (this is very important). Pick up the half circle in one hand and use your thumb and index finger on the other to scallop the sealed edge by turning over a little of the edge at 1cm intervals (see photo). Turn the filled parcel over so that the sealed side is on the floured surface (see tip) and gently press to flatten into a diamond-like shape (see photo). Set aside on a floured surface. Do not let them touch or they will stick together and break open.
• To cook the piroshki, pour enough oil into 2 large frying pans to cover the bottoms by about 1cm. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Working in batches of 4-5, cook piroshki on each side for 1 minute or until dough is cooked and golden brown. Serve hot or at room temperature.