Probably every Slovak would mention this meal as the first choice when asked to name the Slovak national dish.
Bryndza is a special cheese made from sheep’s milk. It can be replaced by a cottage cheese made from cow’s milk but then it cannot be called Bryndzove halusky in Slovakia any more – it is Halusky s tvarohom (Dumplings with cottage cheese).
Ingredients
2-3 large uncooked potatoes
fine whole wheat flour
salt
smoked bacon
bryndza
Instructions
1/ Peel and finely grate the potatoes.
2/ Add flour in order to make a dough or mixture which is not too
tough but also not to watery. Some people add milk and an egg to the mixture
but it is not necessary to do so.
3/ Add salt to taste.
4/ Boil enough water in a large saucepan with 2 tbsp of salt.
5/ Then form the dumplings with a knife or teaspoon on, with cold water washed, wooden platter and thrown them into the bubbling salted water. (There is now special equipment with which you can form halusky more easily and which can be bought in shops.)
6/ Boil the dumplings a little.
7/ When the dumplings are done they will float on the surface of the water. Pick them out with a strainer, rinse with cold water and mix with bryndza.
8/ Cut up little pieces of smoked bacon and fry them. Then put the fried bacon pieces on top of the meal.
People usually serve Bryndzove halusky with a cup of ordinary milk.
