Kate Douglas is right here at the moment bringing Slovakia’s nationwide dish to the ‘Recipes Across the World‘ sequence!
Bryndzové halušky is a dish of small potato dumplings (halušky) with “bryndza” (Slovak sheep’s cheese) and it’s consolation meals at its absolute best.
My maternal grandparents immigrated to america from a village in Jap Slovakia and my grandmother made this for her household each Friday. Now my mother and I make it utilizing her recipe.
It may be eaten as the primary course or, in smaller parts, as a facet dish. Nonetheless, my household at all times eats it alone because it’s VERY filling; as my grandma would say—it’s meant to maintain you going for a full day’s work!
The dough is the trickiest a part of this dish, however when you perceive the consistency I promise it’s fast and straightforward to make!
Right here’s the recipe for the right way to make Slovakian Bryndzové Halusky at dwelling!
Slovakia
Cultural Context
Bryndzové halušky is the nationwide dish of Slovakia! In some areas the place sheep have been scarce and solely cows have been saved, the halušky is ready with cottage cheese slightly than bryndza (sheep’s cheese).
We don’t have Slovak bryndza in america, so our household makes a bryndza substitute utilizing crumbled feta cheese and bitter cream, which has the same style.
Usually, bryndzové halušky is topped with thick bacon cubes or sausage, however as a vegetarian, I depart the meat out and that is the model I’m sharing with you.
So placed on some conventional Slovak Fujara music and let’s get began!
Elements
Makes four parts
- four medium/massive crimson potatoes or 2 massive Russet potatoes
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 tsp salt (plus a pinch to salt the water)
- 1 tbsp butter (non-compulsory)
For the bryndza substitute:
- 6 oz. (about ¾ cup) feta cheese
- About 5 heaping tbsp Bitter Cream
The dough is prepared when the spoon can get up within the dough and falls down slowly to the facet.
Recipe + Preparation
- Put together the bryndza substitute: Break up any bigger feta crumbles with a knife to make smaller. Mix the feta and bitter cream and stir properly. Permit combination to sit down and are available to room temperature whilst you put together the halušky.
- For the halusky: Convey a big pot of water to a rolling boil and add a pinch of salt. Whereas the water is heating, wash and peel potatoes.
- Finely grate the potatoes into a big bowl. This can be accomplished by hand, utilizing a positive meals grater, or by inserting the peeled and chopped potatoes right into a meals processor and processing till pureed. Rigorously pour out any extra water from the grated potatoes.
- Stir within the salt and steadily add the flour, mixing properly. Vital: slowly stir within the flour to make sure you don’t add an excessive amount of as the quantity wanted will fluctuate relying on potato dimension. Chances are you’ll not use all the flour, or may have a little bit extra. The dough is prepared when the spoon can get up within the dough and falls down slowly to the facet.
- Place a portion of the dough onto a picket reducing board. Utilizing a small knife, lower and “toss” the dough into the boiling water, ensuring to maintain the items comparatively small and comparable in dimension. The drops of dough ought to keep collectively within the boiling water and never break aside. In the event that they break aside, add extra flour to the dough to thicken.
- When the halušky rises to the highest, use a slotted spoon to take away and place right into a colander. Repeat this course of with parts of the dough in order to not depart the cooked dough within the boiling water for too lengthy.
- Give the halušky dumplings a fast rinse within the colander with scorching water to take away extra starch.
8. Pour out the water from the pot and switch the halušky again into the pot. Stir within the butter to coat the halušky (non-compulsory).
9. Rigorously stir within the bryndza/substitute, coating the halušky evenly. Serve heat.
Suggestions and Methods
Work FAST when peeling and grating the potatoes to stop browning. I like to recommend pouring out water from the grated potatoes as you go and stirring in a little bit of the flour to maintain the halušky dough from browning an excessive amount of as you’re employed by peeling and grating the potatoes.
My household prefers utilizing crimson potatoes as they appear to be much less starchy and never as sticky as Russets, however both will work.
In Slovakia, most individuals use a halušky maker known as a “haluškár” which appears like a pan with holes within the backside. The dough is positioned within the haluškár and dropped by the holes into the boiling water. This retains the halušky uniform in dimension and form.
A spaetzle maker might be used for the same impact, however I like at hand toss the dough as that’s the best way my grandmother did it.
A variation of this dish, known as Strapačky s kapustou, which my household additionally enjoys, might be made with sauerkraut (¾ of a 28 ozcan) slightly than cheese as follows:
Rinse and drain the sauerkraut. Soften four tbsps of butter in a skillet. Add a medium diced onion, cooking round three minutes till translucent. Add the sauerkraut and a tsp of sugar. Combine properly and prepare dinner till calmly browned. Stir ready sauerkraut combination in with ready halušky dumplings. Serve heat.
Closing Ideas
This recipe conjures up heat emotions of household and custom. On a latest journey to Slovakia with my mother, we loved many evenings eating in cozy kolibas savoring this dish together with different conventional Slovak meals.
One factor is for positive, that is cooking with love! Dobrú chut’!
(For those who have been so as to add bacon or a fake meat topping—there’s a photograph reference above!)
Wish to discover different scrumptious meals from all over the world to make? Take a look at these recipes!