Bryndza pierogi

Boil the potatoes until they are quite soft and mash them by hand.

Add about 240g flour, the egg and about a teaspoon of salt. Mix everything together by hand. Then add more flour until you get a fairly stiff mixture.

Form the dough into a loaf and place it onto a dusted board. Dust the top with flour to prevent the pin from sticking. Cut the dough in to rounds and roll out to about 3 millimeters thick pancakes.

Then take a drinking glass, or cutter, and cut out circles. Do this by pushing down with the glass and twisting your wrist left and right few times. The dough will come out with the glass. Top each circle with a teaspoon worth of cheese.

Fold the circle over and pinch the seal closed with the tip of your fingers. Then, to make the pierogi look prettier, grab the seal between your fingers and twist about 60 degrees. Do this in a few places to scallop the edges.

Place the pierogi into the pot of boiling water. Right after placing them in water, scoop them with a wooden spoon to keep them from sticking to the bottom. The pierogi are ready when they float to the top. Scoop them out using a slotted spoon.

For the topping: fry the bacon in a heavy based frying pan until the white fat part dissolves away and the meat is crispy. Top the pierogi with few spoonfuls of grease and then with the bacon bits. Finally top with sour cream.

Recipe and image supplied by Slovak Cooking