Lobster Pierogies

While spending a week in Maine, enjoying both Boiled Lobster and Lobster Rolls, I decided to come up with a different way to eat lobster. I have previously done Lobster Ravioli (which were awesome), but one of my favorite things to make are Pierogies – and thus, the Lobster Pierogi was created.

What I basically did was make a Lobster Roll type filling, and put it in my perfected Pierogi Dough, and cooked them the way I would my normal Pierogies.

The result? Amazeballs.

So amazing that my husband and I were trying to figure out a way to sell them…... hmm maybe a future Urban Cookery venture?

This was a long process (especially since I cooked the lobsters myself). You can always get your lobsters pre-cooked or even just buy lobster meat if that’s something that's available to you…but for me, I like cooking my own lobster - I feel like it's a right of passage to eat Lobster.

Since I was in Maine, and it’s the Summertime, the lobster they have available are Soft Shell Lobsters (which are not only delicious but super easy to crack and get the meat out of). Here’s my table of how to cook lobsters depending on the weight/shell type:

· First Rule: Use 2.5 quarts of water for each lobster

· Second Rule: With that, use 1 Tablespoon of salt per quart of water

· Bring the water to a boil, put the lobsters in, cover the pot, and begin to time your lobster cooking session.

· For Soft Shell Lobsters: Cook for 15 minutes for a 1.5 - 2lb lobster

· For Hard Shell Lobsters: Cook for about 25 minutes for a 2 - 2.5lb lobster

Lobster Pierogi Filling

Prep Time

45 Minutes

Cook Time

15 Minutes

Total Time

1 Hour

Yield

Makes 13-15 Pierogies

Ingredients

2 2 Pound Soft Shell Lobsters
1 Celery Stalk (minced)
2 Scallions (sliced thin on a bias)
3 T Mayonaise
1 Teaspoon Cilantro (minced)
Black Pepper (to season)

Directions

If you are cooking the lobsters yourself: Bring a large pot of water (about 5 quarts) to a boil - season with 5 Tablespoons of Salt. Once the water is boiling, place the lobsters in and cook with the pot cover on, for the allotted time (depending on how big your lobster are see note above).
Once the lobsters are cooked, remove from boiling water and place directly into an ice bath. Proceed to remove all the meat from the claws, tail, knuckles, etc.
Cut the lobster meat into small bites. Combine in a bowl with the celery, scallions, mayo, cilantro and some black pepper. Mix together.
For assembly: Roll out your dough on a non-stick surface, and with a 3-4 inch diameter circle cookie cutter, cut out pierogi circles. Have a bowl of water on the side. To your dough, with your finger, add some water to the edges. Put about 1 tablespoon of your filling into the center of your dough. Fold one edge over to the other to form a half circle and press the edges together. The water is necessary to help seal the dough together. Repeat this process until all the dough is used up.
To Cook: In a large pot, bring 2-3 quarts of water to a boil (you want enough water in your pot so that you have about a 3-4 inch depth of water in your pot). Add in your pierogi’s to the boiling pot. You may need to do this in a couple of shifts depending on how large your pot is. Once the pierogi’s start rising to the surface of the water, they’re done cooking and can be removed and placed on a plate. Cook all the pierogi’s like this and set aside on a plate.
In a large skillet, add 1-2 tablespoons of Canola Oil. Heat up the oil, and once it’s hot, add in your pierogies. Cook them (flipping over every few minutes) until they’re golden brown. Serve hot.

Sara's Favorite Dough