Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until you can easily slide a knife straight through, about 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. Set aside to cool slightly.

While you’re waiting, heat a large skillet over a medium heat and add the butter or oil. Once warmed, add the chopped mushrooms. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the mushrooms are shrivelled and starting to become brown.

Add the leek and spring onion greens. Cook for 5 minutes or until the greens have softened a little, then add 250ml (1 cup) of water and pop a lid on. Leek greens are tougher than leek whites, so they need to be steamed to make them nice and soft. After about 10 minutes or when the water has nearly evaporated, remove the lid and continue to cook until the water is gone and soft, dark greens are left. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Carefully (they will still be hot) remove the skin from the potatoes and use a ricer or a masher to make them into mash. Add the cheese while the potatoes are hot so it melts into the mix.

Add the sauerkraut, nutmeg, salt and pepper and wilted greens to the potato mixture and stir to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning and set aside while you make the dough.

Turn mixture out onto a clean, dry benchtop. Allow it to cool for a minute or two before beginning to knead with your hands. It will be hot, so be careful. Continue kneading until a smooth and pliable dough forms. If it doesn’t, add half a tablespoon of hot water at a time until you reach a good consistency. When the dough is juicy, moist and smooth, cover it with a plastic bag and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Tear off a golf-ball-sized piece of dough and cover the remainder. Roll dough out on a well-floured surface until it is as thin as you want it, keeping in mind it swells a little during cooking. The amount that this recipe makes assumes you will roll your dough 2.5mm thick or less (it’s a very elastic dough).

You can boil your pierogi or freeze them for a rainy day. To boil, bring a medium sized saucepan of salted water to a simmer. Add the pierogi, 5 or 6 at a time. Cook for 2 minutes (a little longer for frozen) then gently retrieve from the water and place in a sieve to drain. If you’re cooking lots, it can help to lightly oil the sieve to prevent them from sticking as they cool. It can also help to refresh the boiling water every now and again to prevent it from getting too starchy.

To freeze the pierogi, arrange them on 1-2 large lined baking sheets or boards that will fit in your freezer. Once the individual dumplings are frozen, transfer them to a container or a zip lock bag. This will prevent them getting stuck to each other as you cook them from frozen.

As an option, you can fry the boiled dumplings in some butter or oil to create crispy, browned edges and a decadent finish. Either way, serve with extra sour cream, chopped dill and maybe a squeeze of lemon.