Russian Season

So our summer vacation is coming to its end. Someone whose name starts with S took only two weeks off work, although he could have taken more, and tomorrow we’ve got to start packing our bags to go back to Riga. We’ve spent two wonderful weeks in Slovakia with Stano’s family and friends. I had expected a sunnier weather though; it’s been raining since the beginning of the week, so Ivanka could hardly play in the garden. Last week, she spent hours and hours in the garden playing, picking currants and learning to walk - something she’s deprived of in the city.

Trenčiancky hrad - the Trenčin Castle

As always in Slovakia, I’ve been eating like crazy. Fruit, sweets, cakes, and megatons of delicious and fluffy multigrain-sprinkled bread. I’ve tried Žinčica - a fermented sheep milk drink that is left from making Bryndza cheese, and Parenica - rolls of mild string cheese, and Oštiepok - formed smoked sheep cheese that has been steeped in salted water. I’ve drunk fresh, full-fat milk that can be turned into creamy, rich home-made cottage cheese. And of course we’ve had Bryndzove Halušky by Stano’s Mom. Fianlly I had the time to take photos and to write down the recipe. Now I think it’s time to update our blog author info in the right sidebar of the site :)

Me by Krater - a mini lake of mineral water in Eastern Slovakia

Bryndzove Halušky is a staple of Slovak cuisine. That’s a food it might take you some time to get used to, because it’s very heavy. Halušky are small potato dumplings mixed with Bryndza cheese sauce and flavoured with bits of fried bacon. Something you need before a physically exhausting day in the field or on the farm. Halušky are traditionally served with Žinčica, Kefir or any other fermented milk drink.

To make Halušky, you will need a special perforated tool called Haluškaren. Now we’ve got one too, but before Stano has used a sheet of perforated cardboard that he had prepared himself :) Using some kind of a colander with large holes is a possible alternative.

Bryndzove Halušky

Ingredients
10 medium-large potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup wheat flour
2 eggs
2/3 tsp salt
250g Bryndza cheese
1 cup 10% cream
200g bacon
3 tbsp diced chives

Serves 6-8

Grate down the potatoes and mix them with eggs and salt. Add flour and mix until combined. Note that the batter should not be too loose: test by dropping a little batter into boiling water - it should not spread in the water.

Cut bacon into fine cubes and fry them until golden-brown and crispy.

In a mixing bowl, blend Bryndza cheese and cream (sour cream can be used instead as well).

In a large saucepan, bring to a boil about 3 liters salted water.

Pass the batter through a perforated tool into the boiling water and cook until they float to the surface.
Mix Bryndza and cream into cooked Halušky and stir until well-combined. Fold in fried bacon and chives.
Another option is to mix in the fat left from frying bacon and sprinkle remaining bacon on top of Halušky.