You can find Sophie’s Potato Filled Pierogi in the freezer section of gourmet grocers like Weiland’s. They come in a four-pack with very specific cooking directions on the back. You have to boil them, then fry them. This is not an item for the microwave crew.
But it’s worth the effort.
At home, the patient process of boiling, then sautéing yields uncommonly good pierogi. Potato foods often change in terms of texture and flavor in the freezer, but Sophie’s pierogis survive the freezer treatment in pristine form. The (extended) cooking process delivers fresh, pure and buttery pockets, some of which should be attributed to the instructions to fry them in butter.
A word of caution for those who are not veterans of the pierogi-cooking scene: it’s easy to stab the wrong parts of the plump pockets, and they will surrender some filling if you pierce their shells. That said, it’s not a disaster, as most of the filling stays inside.
The instructions on the package also indicate that sour cream and sautéed onions should be added, but honestly, the plump pillows were devoured before bothering with accoutrements.
Right next to the pierogi in the freezer section is Sophie’s Lemon Basil Compound Butter. Why pick just one thing? It made sense to grab that too. When thawed, it’s soft and creamy and very spreadable. Made in part with soybean oil, it’s more of a butter-blend than a purist’s butter. Its flecks of basil give it a greenish hue and sweet herbal flavor tinged with sunny lemon. It’s a winning combo, good on just about anything you’d normally put boring butter on.
Sophie’s products are based in Groveport, Ohio, but the Sophie empire itself makes a lot of local appearances with its food truck. According to its website, it was the first Columbus pierogi on wheels in 2012. And, if you hit the food truck, you don’t have to do any cooking at all.
Learn more at sophiesgourmet.com.