Bryndzové halušky or sheep cheese dumplings are a Slovak national dish . They are prepared from potatoes , flour , salt , sheep cheese and bacon . A common accessory is “bryndza” noodles, cup of sour milk or whey. There is an annual Bryndzové Halušky festival in Turecká that features an eating contest.
Ingredients
750g potatoes
400g Bryndza (the most typical Slovak cheese, a sheep cheese that gives the dish a very specific smell and taste)
100 g smoked bacon
1 egg, 300 g flour, salt.
Preparation
Peel and cut the potatoes. We cut them with the fine grater (so that what remains is almost like raw mashed potatoes). Add the egg, flour and salt. In the meantime, we put a pot of water (2 liters) to a boil. Once the mass is complete we take a small teaspoon and scoop and let down small balls in the water (in Slovakia they have a colander with large holes specific for this type of pasta). We let it boil a few minutes until all the pasta is “floating” on top of the water.
Cut the bacon into thin strips and fry it with a little bit of oil.
Mix the pasta “halusky” with fried bacon and “Bryndza” cheese and serve.
Tips
The dish may be accompanied with a mix of kefir and yogurt or with Czech beer, while the best aperitif is Borovička – pine berry brandy, which is also a Slovak specialty.