Boiko-Style Knish, книш from The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen

"If you search the internet for information about the pastry called knish, you will probably come across recipes from Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. The knish is somewhat similar to small enclosed pies, baked or deep-fried. The filling can vary; traditionally, it's just boiled potatoes, but some versions use grains, cheese, or even meat. I was surprised to learn that knish is also considered traditional in Boiko cuisine. The Boikos, one of the largest ethnic groups in the Carpathian Highlands, have unique culinary traditions. Boiko-style knish is made with yeast dough and filled with mashed potatoes, fried onions, and cracklings."

- Yevhen Klopotenko

My kids love mashed potatoes and they go nuts over a good pie. See how we work as a team to create two delicious Boiko-style knishes that you can enjoy on a busy weeknight with kids of all ages.

Learn more about cooking with kids.

If you like this onion and potato knish, try tovchanka, cabbage pie, sambusas, and empanadillas.

Jump to:

• The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen
• Kolach
• Food from Around the World: Free Cooking Lessons
• How to Make Boiko-Style Knish
• Boiko-Style Knish
• Free Knish Recipe for Pre-Readers and Up
• Montessori Continent Boxes
• Boiko-Style Knish from The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen

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The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen

This Boiko-style knish recipe comes from The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen: Recipes from a Native Chef by Yevhen Klopotenko.

Inside, Yvehen shares what happened to Ukrainian cuisine and culture after Ukraine was absorbed by the Soviet Union in the twentieth century:

Eighty years of Soviet rule wiped out entire generations of Ukrainian artists, dissidents, and philosophers. It also changed the way the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians thought, dressed, and even ate. To come up with a new, ideologically correct food culture, the Soviets turned to French cuisine - or a bastardized version of it..

Meanwhile, authentic Ukrainian cuisine - the incredibly varied dishes once lovingly prepared by our ancestors - went into hiding. For almost a century, this cooking could only be found in the tucked-away villages, the recipes passed from one generation to another in secret. While other regional cuisines changed and absorbed foreign techniques, welcomed new ingredients, and took inspiration from one another, Ukrainian recipes remained unchanged and, for the most part, unknown. So unknown, in fact, that when the Soviet Union finally fell apart and Ukrainians were left with a bland, carb-heavy diet meant to quickly and cheaply feed as many as possible, many believed that this was what Ukrainian food had always been like.

- Yevhen Klopotenko

Yevhen goes on to talk about how the schools and universities were legally forbidden from cooking with herbs and spices until 2022 and were instead pushing out heavily salted food.

The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen provides must-read insight into the history and culture of Ukraine while offering you an intimate invitation to something genuine with each dish carefully photographed and described.

These dishes carry the identity of our region and bring people even closer together. When a family from Kyiv cooks the food of a family from Slobozhanshchyna, it is a display of respect and unity. And when Americans or Italians or citizens of any other country follow a Ukrainian recipe, what is it but the preservation of Ukraine's traditions and history?

- Yevhen Klopotenko

Learn more about allergies and your family.

How to Make Boiko-Style Knish

Ingredients

• potatoes - large peeled potatoes work best for this recipe
• salt - your favorite Kosher salt
• onion - grab a large yellow onion to make the tastiest knish
• oil - sunflower oil or any oil you have on hand
• walnuts
• black pepper - freshly ground works best
• goat cheese - you want shredded firm goat cheese for this Boiko-style knish
• puff pastry - frozen puff pastry cuts down on the prep time, thaw the frozen puff pastry until it is pliable
• flour - you'll need a bit of all-purpose flour for dusting
• egg - just the yolk for this knish
• parsley - use fresh parsley for the best results

Equipment

• Apron
• Prep Bowls
• Measuring Spoons
• Child-Friendly Knife
• Butcher Block
• Stock Pot
• Saucier
• Wooden Spoon
• Box Grater
• Immersion Blender or Mixer
• Parchment Paper
• Whisk
• Baking Sheet
• Rolling Pin
• Pastry Brush

Cook the Potatoes

Wash your hands with soap and water. Dice the potatoes using a child-friendly knife and cutting board. Add them to a pot and cover with cold water. Add a pinch of salt to the pot and boil over medium heat.

Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down and simmer for about 20 minutes. The potatoes are done when they're tender and easily pierced with a fork.

Sauté the Onion

While the potatoes are cooking, turn back to the knife and cutting board to prep the onion. Mince the onion and set it aside.

Add some oil to the saucier and turn the burner to medium heat. Once hot, add the minced onion. Cook until it is golden and fragrant. Turn off the burner when finished.

Chop the Walnuts & Grate the Cheese

Chop the walnuts with a knife and set aside. Grate the goat cheese using the box grater and set aside.

Mash the Potatoes

Once the potatoes are done cooking, turn off the stove and drain the water. Use an immersion blender or hand mixer to mash the potatoes.

You can also transfer them to a stand mixer if you want. I'm not doing all that for potatoes that are already diced.

Your mashed potatoes should be a smooth paste when finished.

Add the Salt, Walnuts, Onion, & Cheese to the Potatoes

Use a measuring spoon or your salt tiger's tongue to add some salt and pepper to the potatoes.

Add the walnuts, onion, and shredded goat cheese to the pot. Give it a good stir.

Roll Out the Puff Pastry

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Split the puff pastry in half. Yevhen recommends storing the other half under a sheet of plastic wrap or a towel.

Place the half you're working with on a lightly floured surface or you can work on the parchment paper like we did. Roll it out into a rectangle using a rolling pin. Add a generous portion of the knish filling to the puff pastry.

Fold the Knish

With the filling in the center of the puff pastry, begin folding up the corners. This is Katalina's favorite part.

Apply the Egg Yolk

Crack an egg and show your child how to separate the egg yolk by pouring it back and forth between halves of the shell, if they don't already know. We do this type of work over the sink.

Afterward, whisk the egg yolk.

Use a pastry brush to brush the knishes with the egg yolk.

Bake for 40 Minutes

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake these knishes for about 40 minutes. Turn off the oven when finished. Garnish with fresh parsley leaves and enjoy!

Free Knish Recipe for Pre-Readers and Up