Slovakian Potato Haluski
Slovakian Potato Haluski aren’t the prettiest dumplings in the world but for what they lack in looks they make up with flavor.
Haluski are traditional Eastern European potato dumplings that can be accompanied with brown butter and onions or even cabbage. Growing up, they were frequently on the dinner menu especially during the winter months and to tell you the truth, I wasn’t a huge fan. But now as a grown adult, I find that these plump potatoes hold a lot of nostalgia and are oddly comforting. Obviously , I had to make my family’s recipe and remind myself how flavorful these potato dumplings can be.
Potato Haluski
3 cups white or russet potatoes; peeled and diced
1 medium onion, diced.
1 tsp baking powder
1 TBSP all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
2 eggs
½ cup whole milk
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour; to stiffen batter
Garnish with brown butter, fried onions and parsley.
In a blender, add eggs and prepared potatoes a little bit at a time. Once potatoes are fully blended add half the diced onion, baking powder, eggs, flour, salt and milk. Blend until a smooth batter forms.
Place potato mixture in a large bowl, add 3 ½ cups of flour to create a stiff dumpling batter but add the flour only a ¼ cup at a time. You may need slightly less or more flour depending on the moisture of the potatoes and onion. You want to stiffen the batter enough to make a thick pancake-like batter that can easily plop off a spoon. Too little flour and your dumplings will boil apart too much and then become very heavy. For me 3 ½ cups was the perfect amount.
Set a large pot of water on the stove and set to high heat until the water boils, salt the water.
Take a large dinner plate or clean cutting board and place enough of the batter to cover the plate, you won’t be able to fit all of the batter at once. With the back of a tablespoon, scrape off portions of the batter off the plate and into the boiling water. When all the batter is gone from the plate, gently stir the dumplings with a slotted spoon. Once the dumplings start to float, cook for 4 minutes before taking them out to drain. Once cooked remove your dumplings with the slotted spoon into a large bowl or colander with a tea towel underneath. Continue until you have no more batter left.
Once all your dumplings are cooked, place about four tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large pan along with the rest of your diced onion. Cook on medium low heat until onions are soft and lightly browned. Take the butter and onions off the heat and add the Haluski. Stir until dumplings are completely coated with the butter and warmed through, top with dried parsley. Serve warm and enjoy.
*Notes:
Three cups of diced potatoes are approximately three medium/large potatoes or one pound.
Haluski can either be served as a side dish or as the main component of the meal. These dumplings pair nicely with smoked sausages such as Kielbasa or pork chops.