Strapačky

Strapačky (Slovak Potato Dumplings)

Strapačky are soft, rustic Slovak potato dumplings traditionally served with a generous helping of bryndza (sheep's cheese) or browned butter and cracklings. They are denser and more irregular than Czech bramborové knedlíky, with a charmingly craggy texture that catches every drop of sauce.

Prep

25 min

Cook

25 min

Total

50 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1.1 lb (about 2 large potatoes)) starchy potatoes, peeled and cubed, floury variety such as Russet or Maris Piper; waxy potatoes will give gummy dumplings
• •180 g (about 1½ cups) plain wheat flour, all-purpose flour
• •1 large egg
• •1 tsp fine salt
• •100 g (3½ oz) bryndza (Slovak sheep's cheese), crumbled, substitute: equal-weight feta mashed with a little sour cream and a pinch of salt; genuine bryndza is sold in Slovak delis
• •30 g (2 Tbsp) butter
• •2 Tbsp rendered bacon drippings or lard, traditional; optional but recommended
• •1 small handful crisp-fried bacon pieces or cracklings (škvarky), for garnish

Steps

1. 1 Place the peeled, cubed potatoes in a large pot of cold salted water and bring to a boil. Cook 15–18 minutes until a knife slides easily through a cube with no resistance. Drain thoroughly and return to the hot pot for 1 minute to dry out.
2. 2 While still hot, pass the potatoes through a potato ricer or food mill set over a large bowl. Do not use a blender or masher with a lot of force — a rough, slightly lumpy texture is what you want for true strapačky.
3. 3 Spread the riced potatoes on the bench or a tray and let them cool until just warm (about 10 minutes). Warm potatoes will melt the flour and make the dough gluey; cool enough to handle comfortably is correct.
4. 4 Sprinkle the flour, salt and egg over the potatoes. Mix quickly with your hands or a wooden spoon just until a soft, sticky dough forms. Do not knead — overworking makes the dumplings tough. The dough should be loose, not a smooth ball.
5. 5 Bring a large wide pot of lightly salted water to a gentle boil (not a hard rolling boil — strapačky cook more like poached dumplings). Reduce to a steady simmer.
6. 6 With two wet teaspoons (or wet hands), scoop portions of dough about the size of a small egg and drop them into the simmering water. Work in batches so the pot is not crowded.
7. 7 Simmer the dumplings 8–10 minutes total; they are done when they swell, feel bouncy to the touch, and no starchy paste oozes out when one is broken open. A knife inserted into the centre should come out clean of raw dough. Internal temperature at the centre should reach at least 95°C / 200°F.
8. 8 Lift the cooked dumplings out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly. If not serving immediately, keep warm in a covered bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water — do not let them sit in liquid or they will turn mushy.
9. 9 Meanwhile, melt the butter with the bacon drippings in a small pan until the butter turns a light golden brown and smells nutty. Stir in the crumbled bryndza off the heat so it just softens without fully melting into a sauce.
10. 10 Pile the hot dumplings onto warmed plates, spoon the bryndza-butter over them, scatter the cracklings or bacon on top, and serve immediately.