Learning to
Make Bryndzove Halusky
By PAT SNIDER (traveler on Slovakia Heritage Tour 2012)
Along with the
usual baked goods and decorations, the Christmas Market in Bratislava,
Slovakia, features wading pools filled with cold water and swimming carp.
Locals select their fish, take it home, and put it in the bathtub where the
fish swims blissfully unaware of its fate as the main course of Christmas Eve
dinner. The meal begins with oblatky,
a thin wafer, topped with the unlikely combination of honey (for happiness) and
garlic (for good health). The next course is a Christmas Soup comprised of some
combination of mushrooms, sauerkraut, onions, little dumplings or noodles, and
seasoned with paprika, caraway seeds, and maybe some pork. The main course is
the fried fish accompanied by potato salad; dessert includes a variety of cookies
and other baked goods.
While this
holiday meal varies from region to region, village to village, and family to
family, it represents the main food groups found in Eastern and Central European
cuisine: dough, pork, cabbage, and potatoes. Sauerkraut, perogies, plum
dumplings, potato pancakes, these are the traditional foods that have evolved
from a history of small farms, no refrigeration, cool climate, limited storage
space, and little access to foreign imported foods. The cuisine is heavy, rich,
yummy, and a cardiologist’s nightmare.
On a visit this
summer to Slovakia, I had the opportunity to take a cooking class on making bryndzove halusky, or potato dumplings
in cheese sauce. This is the national dish of Slovakia; what pizza is to Italy,
what sushi is to Japan, what paella
is to Spain, and every self-respecting cook in the country knows how to make it
without looking at a recipe. It is not a dish to throw together in a hurry. It
took us several hours to prepare it, although I am certain any Slovak babka (grandmother) could whip it up in
under a half hour.
It begins, of
course, with peeling potatoes and shredding them through the finest holes of a
grater, creating a soupy, watery mixture. Egg and flour are added to make a
sticky dough strong enough to hold a spoon upright. Using a special utensil that looks like a round cake pan
with large holes in the bottom, the dough is forced fed into a large pot of
boiling, salted water. This
process is very similar to making the German noodles called spaetzle. In about five minutes, the
clumps of dough will rise to the top, signaling they are cooked through. The water
is drained off in a colander, and it’s time to add the cheese to the potato
dumplings.
Bryndza is a
salty, tangy sheep’s milk cheese with a crumbly, semi-spreadable texture,
similar to the Greek feta cheese. It is EU-trademarked and must come from the
western Carpathian Mountains of Slovakia or Poland. Because it is a non-pasteurized cheese, it is nearly
impossible to find in its purist form in the United States. The imported version is not 100% sheep
milk, but includes nearly one-half cow’s milk so is not the same in flavor or
texture. Suitable substitutes include feta with a little cream cheese, grated
pecorino with sour cream, or a blend of cream cheese and sour cream.
Once the cheese
and dumplings are combined, the dish is topped with a generous portion of
crisply fried bacon bits and perhaps some chopped dill, chives, or parsley for
a little color. While the dish is
often accompanied by a glass of sour milk, the American palate might prefer a
shot or two of Slovak plum brandy called slivovica
to cut through the creaminess.
While traveling
in Slovakia, you will find bryndzove
halusky on the menu in restaurants featuring traditional foods. Other items might include hearty soups,
always a part of a meal, as well as perogies
(dumplings stuffed with cheese or potatoes), schnitzle,
goulash, stuffed peppers or cabbage.
The food is very much influenced by
Slovakia’s neighbors: Poland,
Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria.
For some reason, these countries seem to attract more visitors than
Slovakia which is still considered way off-the-beaten path. It is a beautiful land offering rugged mountain
scenery, restored medieval towns, plenty of castles, and Lonely Planet has
selected it as one of the ten top countries to visit in 2013. Slovakia has
something to offer everyone, except perhaps a vegan following a gluten-free
diet.
Bryndzove Halusky...
