Bryndzové Halušky

Bryndzové Halušky

Slovakia's unofficial national dish: tiny, soft potato dumplings tossed with creamy bryndza sheep cheese, then finished with crackling bacon and a shower of fresh chives.

Prep

25 min

Cook

25 min

Total

50 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) starchy potatoes (old, floury type), e.g. Maris Piper, Russet, or 'múčne' Slovak potatoes; do not use waxy varieties
• •150 g (5¼ oz / 1¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
• •1 whole large egg
• •0.5 tsp fine salt
• •250 g (9 oz) bryndza (brynza) cheese, sheep's-milk bryndza is traditional; cow's-milk Slovak 'bryndza' or Liptov is acceptable; do not substitute feta or ricotta
• •60 ml (¼ cup) sour cream (smotana), use full-fat; loosen the bryndza as needed
• •150 g (5¼ oz) smoked slab bacon (slanina), pork belly, rind on if possible; substitute thick-cut smoked streaky bacon
• •1 tbsp rendered lard or pork fat, optional, only if the bacon yields little fat
• •10 g (¼ cup chopped) fresh chives, finely snipped; some cooks use a little raw white onion

Steps

1. 1 Peel and finely grate the raw potatoes on the smallest holes of a box grater (or pass through a fine die on a food processor). Work quickly and keep them in the bowl; do not rinse - the starch is what binds the dumplings.
2. 2 Tip the grated potato into a clean linen tea towel and squeeze firmly over the sink to remove excess liquid, then briefly fluff the pulp with a fork. You want it damp, not dripping.
3. 3 Transfer the squeezed potato to a mixing bowl. Add the flour, egg and 0.5 tsp salt, then mix with a wooden spoon (or by hand) until you have a thick, sticky, cohesive batter. It should drop slowly from the spoon in ribbons; if it is very wet, work in another tablespoon of flour.
4. 4 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a steady boil. Lightly oil a large plate and set it next to the stove.
5. 5 Set a perforated skimmer, a large flat holed spoon ('cedidlo'), or a coarse colander over the pot (or use a special halušky board / 'haluškova doska' pressed against the rim). Scoop a generous layer of batter onto the perforated surface and push it through into the boiling water with a spatula or your thumb - the dumplings should fall as small, irregular pea- to fingernail-size pieces. Work in 3–4 batches so the water keeps boiling.
6. 6 As soon as the halušky float to the surface, give them 1–2 more minutes, then lift them out with the skimmer into the oiled plate. Do not drain them in a sieve, which makes them sticky. Repeat with the remaining batter.
7. 7 While the halušky cook, dice the bacon (rind included) into small 5 mm (¼ in) cubes. Cook in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until the cubes are bronzed and crisp and plenty of clear fat has rendered, 5–7 minutes. Lift the cracklings out with a slotted spoon; keep the fat warm in the pan.
8. 8 In a wide serving bowl, stir the bryndza with 60 ml sour cream until smooth and spreadable; loosen with 1–2 more tbsp of the warm bacon fat or a splash of hot cooking water from the halušky pot if it is stiff.
9. 9 Add the warm halušky to the bowl and toss vigorously with a wooden spoon so every piece is coated in the cheese - do this while the dumplings are hot so the bryndza melts and clings.
10. 10 Spoon onto warmed plates, shower with the crisp bacon, drizzle over the hot rendered bacon fat, and finish with a generous pinch of snipped chives. Serve immediately, with cold milk or pale beer.