Ryan Dziki remembers his babcia’s pierogi fondly — “babcia” is Polish for grandmother. His grandparents immigrated from Poland in the 1900s.
“She would fill them with potatoes and cheese and cook them in butter, sometimes tossing them in breadcrumbs,” he said.
What are pierogies?
Pierogi are basically dumplings but unlike Italian ravioli, which are made with semolina, or Chinese dumplings, made with rice flour, pierogi dough is made with all-purpose flour which makes them fluffy and light,. They also crisp up nicely if you fry them, he said.
Dziki began cooking at the age of 14 and later trained as a chef at Le Cordon Blu. He and his older brother Adam and sister-in-law Julie founded Wild Fox Pierogi five years ago. The Dziki brothers, whose name means “wild,” grew up in a mostly Polish family, whereas Julie, whose maiden name Raposo means “fox,” grew up in New Bedford’s vibrant Portuguese community. Put together, they came up with the name Wild Fox and have come up a number of intriguing flavors some of which combine Polish and Portuguese traditions.
For example, the Little Portugal Pierogi is based on a Portuguese soup recipe and includes linguica sausage, kale and potatoes. One of the past seasonal pierogi was Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa, based on the Portuguese salt-cod stew served on Good Friday.
The modern pierogi
Some flavors are twists on American classics, like the Buffalo Chicken and Veggie Pot Pie. Ryan’s favorite is the Mango Habanero, which includes pulled pork and combines sweet and spicy flavors.
While Ryan labors in the kitchen, Adam runs the business side of things, including accounting, administration and human resources.
Wild Fox Pierogi are handmade and come frozen in packages of eight for $15. They are easy to prepare. Since they are already cooked, so you can either thaw them overnight or boil them quickly before lightly frying them in oil for “a nice crunch.” Traditionally, they are served with sour cream.
Seasonal offerings are part of the fun. Last Halloween, Ryan made Candy Corn pierogi filled with honeynut squash, corn, maple syrup and seasonings. For Thanksgiving, there was a special edition roasted turkey pierogi with all the fixings — stuffing, cranberries, gravy and potato.
On a recent weekday, Ryan and three other workers were preparing “The Bunnicula,” a curried carrot and parsnip pierogi. For those not familiar, “Bunnicula” is the name of a fictional vampire rabbit who sucks the colors out of vegetables. Since parsnips look like white carrots, the name seemed apt.
The team looks forward to the opening of their downtown Woburn restaurant, The Fox Den, in the spring of 2022.
“A dimly lit, swanky pub,” it will offer a blend of Polish and Portuguese plus “inspired American contemporary” dishes and cocktail pairings. Of course, pierogi will be on the menu.
Until then, the best way to get your pierogis is to order online and pick them up at the Roslindale Winter Farmer’s Market which operates on Sundays from 12-3 until March 27 and, in addition to perogi, offers honey, fresh produce, meat and more.
For more information, visit wildfoxpierogi.com.
