Halushky with Pork Cracklings
Halushky take half an hour, but the margins are narrow: stiff dough gives rubbery lumps, dough that is too slack dissolves in the water. The target is simple — softer than pasta dough, just tacky to the finger, and then twenty minutes of rest.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Rest
- 20 min
- Total
- 1 h 5 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 490 kcal
Ingredients
Dough
Cracklings
Makes: 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
-
Step 1: Mix a soft dough
Beat the eggs with the water and salt, add the flour and knead for 5 minutes. The dough should stay soft and slightly tacky; a firm one gives rubbery halushky.
-
Step 2: Let it rest
Cover with a towel and leave 20 minutes. The gluten relaxes, the dough becomes cooperative and the dumplings come out tender inside.
-
Step 3: Render the fat
Cut the fatback into 1 cm cubes and render in a cold pan over low heat for 10 minutes, until the cracklings are golden and crisp.
-
Step 4: Fry the onion
Lift out the cracklings with a slotted spoon and fry the chopped onion in the rendered fat until golden, about 7 minutes.
-
Step 5: Cut the halushky
Roll the dough into a 2 cm rope and cut 2 cm pieces with a knife dipped in water. Dust them with flour so they do not stick together.
-
Step 6: Boil in plenty of water
Drop them into a large pot of salted boiling water in batches. Once they float, cook 2 minutes; the centre should be soft with no floury taste.
-
Step 7: Combine while hot
Lift them straight into the onion pan, add the cracklings and toss a few times. Hot halushky soak up the fat and stop clinging to each other.
-
Step 8: Serve
Scatter with dill, grind over pepper and serve at once with sour cream. Halushky left standing turn dense.
Tips & variations
-
Tip
Render the fat slowly, starting in a cold pan. Over high heat the cubes scorch outside while the fat inside never comes out.
-
Variation
Torn halushky use the same dough made slacker: you scoop it with a spoon and drop it straight into the water. Ragged shape, softer texture.
-
Tip
Use a wide pot and no more than a handful at a time, or they fuse into a single lump.
-
Storage
One day in the fridge. Next day fry them in the pan with the cracklings rather than reheating them in water.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 490 kcal | 1,960 kcal |
| Protein | 13 g | 52 g |
| Fat | 24 g | 96 g |
| Carbohydrates | 53 g | 212 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
Cooked it? Rate the recipe
No ratings yet — yours will be the first.
