Halušky with bryndza (potato dumplings with sheep cheese)

Bryndzové halušky, the Slovak national dish — soft potato dumplings tossed with tangy sheep-milk bryndza cheese and crowned with crispy bacon.

Ingredients

• potatoes500 g
• plain flour200 g
• bryndza (sheep cheese)250 g
• bacon120 g
• spring onion2 tbsp
• salt1 tsp

Method

1. Prep the potatoes. Peel and finely grate the potatoes directly into a large bowl — you want a wet, pulpy mash rather than dry shreds. Don't squeeze out the liquid; the starch helps bind the dough.
2. Make the dough. Add the flour and salt to the grated potato and mix with a wooden spoon until a soft, sticky dough comes together. It should be wetter than pasta dough — if it holds a rough shape when dropped from a spoon, it's right.
3. Fry the bacon. Cut the bacon into small lardons and fry in a dry pan over medium-high heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and crisp. Lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
4. Boil salted water. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. You'll be pushing the dough through in batches, so keep it at a steady boil throughout.
5. Cook the halušky. Hold a colander or a halušky board over the pot and press the dough through the holes with a spatula in small batches, letting the little dumplings drop straight into the boiling water. Cook each batch for about 2–3 minutes — they're done when they float to the surface and look slightly puffed. Scoop out with a slotted spoon into a warmed bowl.
6. Toss with bryndza. Add the bryndza to the hot dumplings and toss well — the heat of the halušky will soften the cheese into a creamy, tangy coating. Taste and add salt if needed, bearing in mind bryndza is already quite salty.
7. Plate and finish. Divide into four bowls, spoon over any remaining bryndza sauce, then scatter the crispy bacon lardons on top. Finish with the sliced spring onion for a fresh, sharp contrast.

Safety & hygiene Important

• Bacon fat spitting. The bacon fat can spit aggressively as the lardons render — use a pan with deep enough sides and keep a lid nearby to shield your hand if needed.