Traditional Slovak Recipes
Bryndzové halušky
Bryndzové halušky is a traditional Slovak dish made with small potato dumplings, bryndza sheep cheese and crisp fried bacon. They are hearty, simple and closely tied to Slovakia’s mountain and shepherding traditions.
- Cuisine
- Slovak cuisine
- Meal type
- Main course
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cooking
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
Recipe
Bryndzové halušky are one of the best-known dishes in Slovak cuisine. They are made from small dumplings prepared with raw grated potatoes and flour, then mixed with bryndza, a tangy sheep cheese.
Their strength lies in their simplicity: potatoes, flour, salt, bryndza and fried bacon. That is why the texture of the dough, the quality of the bryndza and serving the dumplings hot all matter so much.
Practical cooking
Ingredients
4 servings
For the dumplings
- 600 g potatoes (peeled and finely grated)
- 200 g plain flour (adjust the amount depending on how watery the potatoes are)
- 1 tsp salt
To finish
- 250 g bryndza
- 150 g bacon (cut into small cubes)
Nutrition per serving
- Energy
- 588 kcal2475 kJ
- Fat
- 24.8 g
- Saturated fat
- 13.1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 71.5 g
- Sugars
- 2.1 g
- Fibre
- 5.8 g
- Protein
- 24.3 g
- Salt
- 3.9 g
Calculated estimate. Actual values may vary depending on the ingredients used.
Cook flow
Instructions
Total: 45 min
- 1
Prepare the dough
Prepare the potatoes
Peel the potatoes and process them into the finest possible moist pulp. When working by hand, use the finest rasping side of the grater, not the side that cuts the potatoes into shreds. For a larger quantity, you can use a meat grinder fitted with its finest grinding plate or a food processor with a potato-rasping disc specifically designed for raw potatoes. If the potatoes release an exceptionally large amount of water, carefully drain off some of the water.
Mix the dough
Add the salt and flour to the grated potatoes. Mix into a thick, sticky dough. It should not be as runny as pancake batter, but it should not be too stiff either.
- 2
Cook the halušky
Bring the water to a boil
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
Form the halušky
Press the dough through a halušky maker, spaetzle maker or a sieve with larger holes directly into the boiling water.
Cook the halušky
Cook the halušky until they rise to the surface, then let them cook briefly for a little longer before draining.
- 3
Add the bryndza and bacon
Fry the bacon
Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a pan until crisp. Keep the rendered fat for finishing the dish.
Mix with the bryndza
Mix the hot halušky with the bryndza until the cheese softens and coats the dumplings evenly.
Serve
Serve immediately, topped with the crisp bacon and, if you like, a little of the rendered fat.
Refine
Tips and variations
Best potatoes to use
Older, flourier potatoes labelled cooking type B, BC or C are best suited to halušky. In the classification used in parts of Europe, these types range from all-purpose towards flourier potatoes. They usually make a more suitable dough and often need less flour, which can help the halušky stay tender. Firm, waxy type A potatoes are not the ideal first choice. Always adjust the exact amount of flour to the water content of the potatoes you are using.
Preparing a large batch more easily
When making halušky for a large family or a gathering, grating the potatoes by hand can take up a substantial part of the preparation. You can process them with a meat grinder or a food processor fitted with a potato-rasping disc specifically designed for raw potatoes. With a meat grinder, use the grinding plate with the smallest holes. A coarser plate leaves larger pieces in the potato pulp, which may show up as lumps in the cooked halušky. With a food processor, do not use a shredding or julienne disc that cuts the potatoes into strips—the result should be a fine, moist potato pulp.
Serve immediately
Halušky are best immediately after cooking. Do not rinse them after draining; mix them with the bryndza while they are still hot. A thin layer of starch helps the bryndza cling to the halušky. If the finished mixture is too thick, add a small amount of the halušky cooking water.
A creamier version
In some households, a little sour cream is stirred into the finished halušky for a milder, creamier taste.
When bryndza is unavailable
If bryndza is not available, you can use a mild mixture of sheep cheese and sour cream, although the flavour will not be the same.
After cooking
Storage and serving
Traditional serving
Traditionally, bryndzové halušky are served with fried bacon and a little rendered fat.
What to drink with halušky
A glass of sour milk, kefir or žinčica goes well with them.
How to store leftovers
Store cooked halušky in a sealed container in the fridge and use them ideally within 1–2 days.
How to reheat them
When reheating, adding a small splash of milk or cream helps prevent the dish from becoming too dry.
Knowledge graph