“Brynzové halušky” (or halushky with brynza cheese in English) is considered the national dish of Slovakia. Czechs also make halushky but serve them with sauerkraut, not cheese. Halushky are small potato gnocchi resembling German spätzel. Brynza (or bryndza) is a Slovak sheep milk cheese, which is made in other countries as well (the Moravia region of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania). It’s white and has a characteristic strong smell. It has a creamy consistency and pleasant saltiness similar to feta.
Growing up, my mom and grandma made halushky with sauerkraut and bacon often but never with brynza. I tried those for the first time on a school trip to the Slovakian Tatra mountains. Only in recent years, I got to have them again, in New York City! The sous chef of the Czech Restaurant Bohemian Spirit, Martin, was from Slovakia and would sometimes make halushky with bryndza as a dinner special. Those were the most delicious, creamiest halušky I ever remembered eating. I recently reached out to him on Instagram to ask where would I find brynza. None of the Polish stores I go to carry it. He recommended Muncan Food.
I took a trip to their store located in Ridgewood, Queens. Oh boy, was I happy when I spotted “brinza” behind the glass display. Not only that! The Romanian gentleman at the counter told me they also make “škvarky” (a Czech word for small crispy pork pieces left over after rendering pork fat). He went to the back and brought me a big piece of freshly made, warm pork crackling. Needless to say, this was not my last time there. So many goodies, so little space in my fridge! For the moment, I grabbed a few things and ran home to make halushky.
If you decide to try these (and believe me, they’re worth it!), you will need a tool to make them. I have a simple plastic “halushky maker” from my dad. They sell those in bodegas in the Czech Republic. I saw a similar one on Food52. You can also use this spaetzle maker from Bed Bath and Beyond.
”Halushky” with bryndza cheese: European-style Mac and cheese
Equipment
- Spaetzle maker
Ingredients
- 500 g potatoes
- 250 g flour
- 1 egg
- 200 g brynza
- 200 g sour cream
- 1 onion optional
- 100 g bacon
- Spring onion or chives for garnish
- Black pepper optional
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to boil.
- Cut bacon (and onion if using) into small dice. Sauté in a pan over medium heat until the onion is fried and bacon crispy.
- Mix the brynza cheese with the sour cream.
- Peel the potatoes and grate them finely into a bowl. (If you ever forget what you’re making and realize you grated your potatoes coarsely 🤦🏻♀️, run them through a food processor. It works even after you have added the flour and egg. I’ve done that once.) Add the egg and part of the flour and mix. Add flour to adjust the consistency. The batter should be pourable but thicker than a pancake batter.
- Put the spaetzel maker over the pot of boiling water and spoon a little of the batter over to try the consistency. Press it through the holes. Halushky are done when they float to the surface, which happens in just a few seconds. Transfer them into a large bowl with a slotted spoon.
- Add the cheese mixture to the halushky. Divide into deep plates or soup bowls, spoon bacon (and onion) on top and garnish with scallion greens or chives. I like some fresh black pepper.
