Bryndza Halusky (Slovakia)
Bryndza Halusky, Slovakia’s national dish, is a comforting and hearty meal that showcases the country’s rustic culinary heritage. Made from soft potato dumplings (halusky) and topped with creamy, tangy bryndza cheese which is a special type of sheep’s cheese. Often garnished with crispy bacon or fried onions, Bryndza Halusky is the ultimate comfort food, offering a perfect balance of rich, savoury flavours. Thank you so much Leila!
Halusky
- 250g bryndza more or less to taste
- 500g potatoes (about 5 medium)
- 200g plain flour or gluten-free flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 200g bacon
- chopped chives or parsley optional garnish
Bryndza
- feta cheese
- cream cheese or sour cream
- 50g butter
Step 1
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. In the meantime, finely grate the raw potatoes. Combine the grated potatoes with flour, egg, and salt, and mix thoroughly.
Step 2
Using a halušky maker or spaetzle maker, drop the dough into the boiling water.
Step 3
If you don’t have either tool, place the dough on a cutting board and use a knife to cut off small chunks, dropping them into the water. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the water with too many dumplings.
Step 4
Once the halušky float to the surface, use a slotted spoon to remove them.
Step 5
Chop the bacon and fry it until it becomes crispy.
Step 6
For the bryndza alternative, blend the ingredients until smooth. Adjust the strength of the mixture to suit your taste—more feta will create a stronger flavour, while sour cream will make it milder. Cream cheese will give a thicker consistency, while sour cream will make it thinner. Start by blending half a cup each of feta and sour cream with 1½ tablespoons of butter.
Step 7
Serve the dumplings by heaping them onto a plate, placing the bryndza mixture on top (it will melt as it warms), and sprinkling generously with crispy bacon. You may also wish to garnish with chopped chives or parsley. For a milder flavour, you can add 1/4 cup of milk to the bryndza mixture.