Polish Uszka Recipe – Quick and Easy!

As the holiday seasons come closer and closer, our cravings for Christmas-themed treats and delicacies become more real.

Mushroom Pierogi or dumplings “Uszka” is an amazing polish food that has been traditionally served with Borscht or beet soup as Christmas eve dinner for ages.

Polish Uszka or mushroom dumplings are a favorite, and every Polish household considers Christmas eve incomplete without this amazing food. While some families prefer Uszka with mushroom soup, most pick beet soup or Borscht to douse these delicious dumplings with.

Today we bring you a recipe with detailed instructions on how to make these mushroom dumplings:

What Is Uszka?

In the most literal sense, Uszka means “little ears.” They get this name from the general shape of each dumpling being similar to small ears.

Uszka dumplings are very similar to Italian tortellini pasta and are made once every year to devour at Wiglia ( The dinner of Christmas eve).

It is also not uncommon to stuff Uszka with minced meat, but if you are to enjoy it at Christmas, a mushroom filling is the way to go.

Polish Uszka Recipe

Let’s go over the ingredients first:

For Uszka Dough

• All-purpose flour – 2 Cups
• Egg – 1 large
• Salt – 1/2 teaspoon
• Water – 4 tablespoons

For Mushroom Filling

• Dried Polish Mushrooms – 4 Ounces or 115 grams
• Onion – 1 small finely diced or chopped
• Egg – 1 large
• Unsalted butter – 2 tablespoons
• White breadcrumbs – 1 tablespoon
• Parsley- 2 tablespoons finely chopped
• Salt – to taste
• Pepper – to taste

Now let’s take a look at the full recipe and steps to make the dumplings.

Making the Mushroom Filling

A lot of different types of mushrooms are used, but to keep it simple, you can use any dried or even fresh mushroom. Just remember not to soak if your mushroom is fresh.

Here are the steps:

• Fill a large bowl with warm water and soak the dried mushrooms until they are fully rehydrated and feel soft to the touch.
• While the mushrooms rehydrate, do mise en place or chop and gather every other ingredient at arms reach.
• Take the now rehydrated mushrooms out of the soaking bowl but do it carefully as there will be residue at the bottom of the bowl, which we do not need for the purposes of making Uszka. But it can be used as a flavor enhancer in soups so remember to save it.
• Finely chop the mushrooms very finely and set them aside (This can be done with a food processor too). Now they are ready to cook.
• Take a large skillet or a frying pan, put the unsalted butter in, and keep it in low heat until you have melted butter.
• Add your finely chopped onion to the pan saute for a few minutes until they turn translucent.
• Put the mushrooms in the pan and cook mushrooms in medium heat for around 10 mins or as long as it takes for the moisture to evaporate, stirring occasionally. When done, you will hear a sizzling sound.
• Put the cooked mushrooms and onions in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• Taste for seasoning and add more if required.
• Let the mixture sit on the bowl until they cool completely.
• Beat your large egg and add it to the bowl along with breadcrumbs and parsley.
• Mix with a hand or a spatula until the mushrooms form a firm paste that holds itself together.
• Your Uszka dumplings filling is prepared.

You can even make the filling 24 hours in advance and keep them in the fridge overnight to make preparation even easier.

Making the Pierogi Dough

There are a lot of different recipes and cook times to make this dough, but we are keeping it simple and easy here for the dough.

Let’s see the steps:

• Take the all-purpose flour in a large bowl, or alternatively, a stand mixer can be used.
• Mix the egg, salt, and water with it and start mixing by hand or use the dough hook on your stand mixer and put it on medium speed.
• After the initial mixing, knead until the dough is smooth. Add more water if you think it is necessary.
• Take it out and put the large dough ball in a buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen cloth.
• Let the dough rise and rest for at least 25 mins.
• Lightly flour your work surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a very thin sheet, almost as thin as pasta.
• Use a small glass, shot glass, or a cookie cutter to cut 2 inch wide small circles out of the dough.
• If you have leftovers, the remaining dough can be kept in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap for later use.

Assembling the Mushroom Filled Uszka

• Taste your mushroom pierogi filling one last time for salt and pepper.
• Take a small spoonful of filling and place it on a small circle of dough and dab the edges with water. You can use a silicone brush or your fingers for this.
• Use your fingers to fold over the edges and wrap them into the distinct little ears shape.
• Keep the assembled dumplings in a pastry board, floured tray, or any lightly floured surface safe for cooking.
• This step is optional, but you can lightly flour the dumplings to keep them from sticking to each other.

Now, all that’s left is cooking.

Cooking the Uszka

• Place a large pot on the stovetop and fill it up with salted water. The water needs to be as salty as the water you cook pasta in. Turn the heat to high.
• Bring the water to a rolling boil.
• Use a slotted spoon to drop the dumplings Uszka into the boiling water. Do this in batches and do not overfill the pot.
• Boil or cook the pirogis for around 10 minutes.
• You can tell if they are done by tasting the mushrooms, and when they are tender, they are done.

Your delicious Uszka is ready to serve!!!

Frequently Asked Questions

• What mushrooms are used to make Uszka?

If you do not care about being traditional, you can use any type of mushrooms like wild mushrooms, white mushrooms, or even fresh mushrooms. But traditionally, wild mushrooms like cremini, porcini, or button mushrooms are used.

• What is the prep time of this recipe?

The traditional polish prep time will vary vastly according to the exact recipe, but ours will take about 2 hours.

• What to do with leftover Uszka?

Leftover Uszka can be a delicious treat the next day. Just shallow fry it in butter.

Conclusion

If you can get your hands on any type of wild mushroom, we highly suggest you try out this easy and simple recipe. It is sure to be a hit with your family this Christmas.

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