Introducing Bryndza...
This little block of traditional Eastern European sheep's milk cheese traveled from Slovakia to Wisconsin to Colorado where it was finally consumed! (I know what you're thinking and don't worry. It has been in the freezer the entire time to keep it fresh). I cannot believe how long it has taken me to finally glorify this unique cheese. But, I have been waiting for the right time. A time when I could make a specific Slovakian dish. A dish that goes back generations. A dish called, Halushky with Bryndza.
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| Halusky with Bryndza, a Slovakian favorite! |
I have eaten this dish only once before, at the dinner table of Joe's family. That was nearly five years ago, back when Joe and I were only college sweethearts. Around that time I remember thinking that Joe had this peculiar cheese shredder in his apartment kitchen that was never used. Turns out, five years later, I have finally figured out the tool's true identity. It wasn't a cheese shredder, but a European dumpling sieve! An essential tool for making Halusky dumplings!
I referenced my Slovakian cookbook for my Haluski recipe, but half way through my dumpling preparation I decided to call Joe's mother for a cooking consultation! I couldn't have made this dish without her, and have included her advice in the recipe below.
This dish starts off with the making of basic Haluski dumplings made of starch, flour, egg, and salt. For this particular recipe, I used potatoes as my starch, but flour is much faster and easier to use. My handy dandy food processor made the potato preparation very effortless...
After the potatoes where peeled, shredded and pureed, a dough was made by adding flour, egg and salt and mixing well. A lumpy, thick dough was formed. I would say it was about the consistency of runny oatmeal. This consistency is very important. Not too thick or too runny. In other words, it should be able to easily fall through the holes in the dumpling sieve via gravity and not force.
Once you have your starchy dough, bring some salted water to a boil. This is where the special dumpling sieve comes into play. Balance it over the top of your boiling water pot with the dough slider on top. This is what it looks like:
Now pour your dough into the sliding box and glide the box back and forth to get the dough to drop through the holes into the boiling water. Once all of the dough is added, let the dumplings boil until they float to the surface of the water. Then let them boil an additional few minutes before draining and rinsing with water.
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| Plain Haluski Dumplings! |
Now comes the fun part! Mix up the some Bryndza cheese with a bit of sour cream to get it smooth and creamy. Cream cheese can be substituted for Bryndza if you don't happen to know someone who makes regular trips to Slovakia (hehe). Stir the cheese mixture into the hot dumplings. Then, fry up some bacon in a pan. Remove the bacon and crumble it. To serve, top each helping of cheesy Haluski with a hearty helping of bacon pieces and sliced green onions. Finally, drizzle with some reserved, hot bacon grease and many shakes of salt... oh, yes, those toppings are required! This dish is guaranteed to be the most memorable, hearty plate of European comfort food you'll ever encounter!
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| Haluski with Bryndza is traditionally served with buttermilk, whole milk (shown here), or plum brandy. |
From "Slovak Cuisine" cookbook
Serves 8
5 russet potatoes, washed and peeled
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
200 g block Bryndza cheese, or 4 oz (1/2 block) full-fat cream cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup sour cream
5 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled (grease reserved), for garnish
Green onions, sliced, for garnish
Salt to taste
Using a food processor, shred and puree potatoes. Put potatoes into a large bowl, then mix in flour, egg, and about 1 tablespoon salt. This dough should be about the consistency of runny oatmeal. Bring salted water to boil in a large pot. Using a special European dumpling colander, pour the dough into the slider to drop dumplings into the hot water to cook. Dumplings should rise to the surface of the water once they are cooked. After they begin to float, let them cook an additional 3-5 minutes before draining and rinsing under running water. Place dumplings into a large bowl. Now, prepare the cheese mixture by mixing Bryndza (or cream cheese) and sour cream. Stir the cheese mixture into the hot dumplings. Fry up the bacon in a large frying pan until crispy. Remove the bacon and crumble, making sure to reserve the grease. To serve, place cheesy dumplings on a plate, add crumbled bacon, green onions, and a drizzle of bacon grease. Sprinkle generously with salt. Best when eaten immediately!
Note: If you don't have this special colander, use a knife and a cutting board to toss the pieces in.
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