Written by Ladislav Janik
This recipe, as many others, such as boiled trout fillet with cold dill sauce or roasted boar leg, vegetables and rosehip sauce, has its origin in the Karkonosze region, which is located in the Giant Mountains in the Hradec Kralove Region in the north of Bohemia. When mentioning the Giant Mountains, one must not forget that this mountain range is the oldest in the Czech Republic, and that the highest peak in the Czech lands – Snezka – can be found there. The Mountains are also the best-known to visitors, in addition to being the largest. But, enough with the geography lesson – let’s get started!
For more information about the Hradec Kralove Region, from which this recipe comes, click here.
1 lb potatoes (any size)
2 eggs
a pinch of salt to taste
6 cups Wondra instant flour (and a little bit more for rolling)
1/2 lb fully-cooked smoked ham
1 whole small onion
3 garlic cloves
frying oil
First, grab a large pot, fill it with water, and bring it to boil. In the meantime, wash the potatoes and, when the water is ready, add them to the pot and boil them for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Now it is time to cut the onion and mince the garlic into tiny pieces. If you do not wish to cry during this process, since it is not night yet and you are not in your bathtub, try chewing something, such as vegetables, or the ultimate helper, chewing gum. When the potatoes are ready, simply take them out and let them cool for a bit.
Then, using a grater, shred the potatoes where you will be mixing the dough. Add flour, eggs, and a pinch of salt to taste. Combine these ingredients together, until a smooth and wonderful dough is made.
Lay the dough on cling film and gently roll it to 0.1 inch thickness.
(If you are uncertain how gentle you should be, thinking of the dough as if it were your baby might help.)
The third step is to fry the onion, garlic, and ham on a medium heat, so that they are warm and smell tasty. Then use the same pot and water (you are welcome Mother Earth) you used for the potatoes and bring it to boil once again. Before the water comes to a boil, put the mixture of ham, garlic, and onion in the middle of the potato dough, and in either a horizontal or vertical way, depending on your geometry and rolling skills, wrap the dough around the mixture. When the water has come to a boil, place the dough-wrapped ham and vegetables, held together by twine, into the pot and boil for 15 minutes.
The last step is to unwrap this delicious meal, cut it in slices, and serve it with either sauerkraut or red cabbage, or, even better, with both.
Enjoy! Dobrou chut!
