Martha's clever yet straightforward pierogi advice comes from her mother, whom she affectionately calls Big Martha.

Martha Stewart grew up in a Polish family, often cooking with her mother, Big Martha. Her mom regularly made pierogi, a simple dumpling filled with potato filling. To this day, Big Martha’s trusted recipe for pierogi is a favorite for the caterer-turned-author-turned-entrepreneur.

This recipe includes a surprising ingredient that is essential and must not be overlooked!

What is the special ingredient that Martha uses?

It’s brown butter. Traditional pierogi is filled with potato and cheese. The pierogi are cooked in boiling water, then served with salt and melted butter. Using brown butter instead of plain melted butter lends rich, toasty notes that elevate the humble dumplings. In her recipe for Pierogi with Potato Filling and Brown Butter, the brown butter is treated like a finishing sauce, drizzled over the cooked dumplings to add flavor.

Like Martha says, you don’t have to eat all the butter. It has a functional purpose, too: It keeps the steamy, starchy pierogi from sticking together.

To make brown butter, follow these simple steps: 1. **Choose Your Butter**: Start with unsalted butter for better control over the seasoning. 2. **Melt the Butter**: Place the butter in a light-colored saucepan or skillet over medium heat. This will help you monitor the color change. 3. **Watch for Foaming**: As the butter melts, it will begin to foam. Keep stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking. 4. **Observe Color Changes**: Continue cooking the butter until the foam subsides and you start to see a golden brown color develop. You’ll notice a nutty aroma when it’s ready. 5. **Remove from Heat**: Once it reaches a deep amber color, remove it from the heat immediately to prevent burning. 6. **Cool and Store**: Transfer the brown butter to a bowl and let it cool. You can use it immediately or store it in the refrigerator for future use. Enjoy your delicious brown butter in various recipes!

It seems like a sophisticated enhancement, yet it's quite simple to achieve. Begin by melting unsalted butter in a saucepan over low to medium heat, using a rubber spatula or whisk to stir it gently. As you do this, the butter will gradually deepen in color until it reaches a lovely golden brown. This transformation occurs as the milk solids detach from the butterfat and start to caramelize.

All those toasty bits add flavor, so while you’re welcome to strain them out before serving, it’s often beneficial to leave them in. Besides, when incorporating brown butter into something like chocolate chip cookie dough, the brown speckles are less visible in the final product anyway.