Strapačky: Slovak potato dumplings with sauerkraut and bacon

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Braise the sauerkraut

   20 min

   Taste the sauerkraut – if it is very sour, rinse it briefly under cold water and let it drain. Put it in a pot with the caraway seeds and 100 ml of water and braise it, covered, for 15–20 minutes until soft.

2. Fry the bacon with the onion

   Cut the bacon into small cubes and fry it slowly in a pan with a tablespoon of lard until it renders its fat. Add the finely chopped onion and fry until translucent. Stir in the braised sauerkraut, season with pepper, and let everything cook together for 5 minutes.

3. Make the dough

   Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Peel the potatoes and grate them on a fine grater; if they release a lot of liquid, pour some of it off. Add the salt, then gradually add the flour and stir into a thick, sticky dough that slowly slides off a wooden spoon.

4. Cook the dumplings

   10 min

   Press the dough through a spaetzle maker, or scrape it off a small board with a knife, into the boiling water in batches. When the dumplings float to the surface, let them cook for another 1–2 minutes, then lift them out with a slotted spoon and let them drain.

5. Combine and serve

   Toss the hot dumplings with the sauerkraut and bacon; if needed, briefly reheat everything together in the pan. Serve right away. Soured milk (similar to buttermilk) or zakysanka, a Slovak cultured milk, goes well with Strapačky.

Tip: Test the consistency of the dough on a single dumpling – if it falls apart in the water, stir in a tablespoon of flour; if it is stiff and rubbery, add a little grated potato.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Strapačky s kyslou kapustou a údenou slaninou