SLOVAKIA: Potato and Cheese Squares (Spravovník) and Smoked Pork with Sauerkraut

Both of these recipes are local variations on more common Slovakian dishes. There are a multitude of recipes for potato and cheese stuffed dough, and many for a more complex sauerkraut soup. But I saw these simplified versions — layering the dough rather than stuffing it, and not a full soup but spiced kraut with some ham and sausage — on a few Slovakian sites. As I'm all about ease....

Potato and Cheese Squares (Spravovník)

8 oz soft goat cheese

2 Yukon gold potatoes

4 oz farmer's cheese or ricotta salata

2 tablespoons butter

½ medium yellow onion

1 cup all-purpose flour (I used Cup4Cup)

1 teaspoon instant yeast

½ teaspoon table salt

½ teaspoon sugar

½ cup whole milk

1 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon marjoram or herbes de Provence

1 large egg

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Remove the cheese from the fridge and bring to room temperature.

2. Wash, peel, and cub the potatoes. Place in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and salt liberally. Place over high heat until the water comes to a boil, then reduce to medium-low to simmer the potatoes.

3. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Chop the onions and add to the pan, cooking and stirring, until the onions turn golden. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 375° F.

5. Combine the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. In the microwave or a small saucepan, heat the milk to 120°F-130°F, making sure it stays below 140°F so the heat does not kill the yeast. Make a well in the flour, pour in the oil, then add the the milk, little by little, kneading the ingredients into a smooth, semi-thick dough.

6. When the potatoes are fork tender, drain and let dry and cool for a few minutes, Chop them into small dice and add them to a large bowl. Add in the goat cheese. Chop the farmer's cheese or ricotta salata and add to the bowl. Stir together fully. Break the egg into the mixture. Add the marjoram or herbes de Provence and mix well. Finally, add the sautéed onion and the butter in which it was cooked into the cheese mixture, and stir again to combine fully.

7. Grease an 8-inch square pan. Using floured hands, press the dough into the pan. Top with the potato-cheese mixture and spread evenly overtop. Bake for 35 minutes, until the top is golden.

8. Cool slightly, cut into squares, and serve warm.

Smoked Pork with Sauerkraut

½ lb smoked ham steak or other smoked pork

¼ lb kielbasa

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ onion

1 small apple

1 jar, ~16 oz, of European sauerkraut (do not use refrigerated or fresh sauerkraut)

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

Toasted bread for serving, optional

1. Cube the ham or smoked pork into bite-sized pieces and slice the sausage into thin rounds.

2. Heat a heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Dice the onion and peel and dice the apple. Add both to the pot. When the onion is softened and translucent, add the ham and sausage and cook until slightly browned, about 3 minutes.

3. Drain the sauerkraut, pushing down to release as much liquid as possible, but do not rinse. Add to the pot. Cover with enough water to just barely cover the mixture. Add in the caraway seeds.

4. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauerkraut softens and the flavors meld.

#spravovník #potatoesandcheese #cheesesquares #ham #kielbasa #kraut #slovakia

• 

• 

FUN FACTS:

• Slovakia is the world's largest per capita producer of cars, as many manufactures, such as Volkswagen, Kia, and Peugeot, have large plants there.

• Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava, is the only capital city in the world that directly borders two other sovereign nations; it sits at the meeting point of Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary

• Slovakia has the highest number of castles and châteaux per capita on the entire planet. Packed into a country less than half the size of New York State are 180 castles and 425 châteaux. There is about one castle or chateau for every 9091 people.