Slovakia – Segendenski and Klendinki
I miss vanilla sugar, with its very good smell. Magdalena rubs her fingers together and the absent scent fills the room.
She describes the stuffed pastas her mother-in-law taught her how to make, remembers at 13 trying to copy her mother make langose (a kind of dough). Mine was more like play dough she laughs. The flours are different in Ireland; much saltier and finer. She finds the myriad of brands confusing; We only have two types. For main courses, goulash, stews and soups are all staples in Slovakia, and are often eaten with klendinki, which is used like bread.
Ingredients
Segendenski
- Pork
- Kisla kapusta (sauerkraut)
- Bay leaves
- Pepper
- Salt
- Stock cubes
- Tinned tomato
- Milk
Boil the pork with the pepper, salt, bay leaves and stock cubes for 30 minutes. Add the sauerkraut, tomato, milk and a little flour and cook for a further 50 minutes. Serve with klendinki.
Klendinki
- 500g plain flour
- Yeast
- Salt
- ½ litre hot milk
Make a paste with the yeast, hot milk and a small bit of flour. Add the paste to the rest of the flour and hot milk and mix to dough. Dust the dough with flour and then cover it with a tea cloth for 20 to 30 minutes until the dough has risen. Steam the dough (you can use a saucepan and colander if you don’t have a steamer) for 15 to 20 minutes or until it has risen. Brush it with oil and cut it like bread to be eaten with segendenski, goulash or any type of stew.