Strapačky s kyslou kapustou

The story

Strapačky are the sauerkraut version of Slovakia's best-known dumplings. Wikipedia's overview of Slovak cuisine lists them plainly as potato dumplings with sauerkraut, next to bryndzové halušky, the same dumplings with sheep's cheese. Both draw on the old staples of the Slovak countryside: potatoes, sauerkraut and pork. The dough is raw potato grated very fine and mixed with flour, a little salt and sometimes an egg, then pressed or cut from a wooden board straight into boiling water. Lubos, the author of the English-language site Slovak Cooking, gives 750 grams of potatoes to 2 cups of flour and writes that he likes the dumplings with cabbage even better than with bryndza. He rinses the sauerkraut so it is not too sour and steams it slowly with caraway. In the east the dish also goes by hičkoše. A feature on Slovak traditions on the site Zlavomat gives the recipe of Katarína Wagnerová of Spišské Podhradie, who adds an egg to the dough, softens onion and sauerkraut in butter, and mixes in fried bacon cracklings. Sauerkraut braised with bacon and onion makes the dish a winter supper built from the pantry. A spaetzle maker makes the job quick; serve strapačky as a one-dish supper with a glass of buttermilk or kefir.