Strapačky - halušky with sauerkraut and bacon (source: Naomi Hužovičová)
The food most declared as the national Slovak dish is bryndzové halušky, potato dumplings with a soft and salty sheep cheese. My personal favourite Slovak dish also includes halušky but is much less known: strapačky. This old-world dish mixes the same potato dumplings but with sauerkraut - and bacon of course.
I shared a recipe for sauerkraut, fermented cabbage, long made by Slovaks simply as a way to preserve the vegetable over the winter. They were less interested in its health properties (of which there are many) than as a preservation method and therefore didn't hesitate to cook it, like in creamy segedínsky stew. Turns out, there are still health benefits and probiotic benefits even if the sauerkraut is cooked.
Cooking sauerkraut also changes the taste of the fermented vegetable, mellowing it and making it more appealing to those not used to the sharp taste. The halušky serve as a neutral background to the sauerkraut. And bacon needs no selling words. All together, it makes for a true comfort dish.
The mixture is usually sautéd, but for very large amounts it can also be baked in the oven, mixing occasionally. The amount of sauerkraut is dictated by taste - if you love the new old superfood, add more; if you're unsure, add less.
INGREDIENTS
500 g (18 oz) potatoes, about 5 medium
200 g (scant 2 cups) all purpose flour
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 onion
300-600 grams (2-4 cups) sauerkraut
200 grams (7 oz) bacon
PROCEDURE
1. Chop bacon, and fry over medium heat in large skillet.
2. Chop onions and add, turning the heat to low.
2. Roughly cut sauerkraut into about 2 inch lengths, add to frying pan and saute for about 20 min, or until sauerkraut is soft.
3. Meanwhile, make halušky. Grate potatoes on the small holes. This can be done by hand or in a food processor. Put the potatoes in mixing bowl and add flour, egg, salt, and mix.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Use a halušky maker, or Spaetzle maker, to drop the dough into the boiling water. Put the batter through in batches.
If you don't have either, you can put the dough on a cutting board and use a knife to cut off small chunks into the water.
3. When floating, use a slotted spoon to fish out the halušky.
4. Add halušky to sauerkraut mixture and heat through. If the halušky are still hot, they don't need to saute long, but you can also make the halušky ahead of time. Saute until the halušky are warm.
