Melba's Jammin' <
[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> In article <
[email protected]>, Wayne Boatwright
> <
[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Melba's Jammin' <
[email protected]> wrote in
news:barbschaller-
>>
[email protected]:
>>
>> > Chris is home and today we went to Kramarczuk Sausage Company and got some Polish and some coarse-
>> > ground skin-on wieners. Supper tonight is going to be the kolbasy, some kapusta, and p'raps
>> > some potato halushky (if I get offline and get moving in the kitchen). I think it'll be good.
>> > (The kraut was homemade by the uncle of a friend). Woo-hoo!
>>
>> Sounds yummy! Barb, I've made lots of halushky but never with potato, although I've eaten it.
>> Would you kindly share how you make that? One of my favorites...halushky with fried cabbage,
>> along with a cucumber salad with sour cream.
>
>>
>> Wayne
>
> Well, my meal was something of a dog. Dammit! The kolbasa was wonderful! At $4.39/lb it ought to
> be! The halushky were edible, but not as I think they ought to have been. I shredded a couple
> potatoes in the fp, then chopped the shred with the steel blade to almost-puree. Then added flour
> until a dough formed. I'm thinking that rather than pushing them through the struhadlo, I should
> have cut them from a flat plate. They cooked through (I made sure of that) and were shiny from the
> starch. Still, mixed with godawful kraut, they weren't bad. I'm wondering if I mightn't have used
> more flour and thinned it with liquid--that would have cut down that shine.
I love good kolbasa, and we're lucky enough to have a good great Gernab sausage shop near where I
work that makes an excellent one. They also make those coase-ground skin-on weiners which are the
only weiners I'll eat. Last time I was there they coerced me into sampling their "ham bologna" and I
was actually forced to buy a pound. I hate balogna, but this was incredible!
Well, I'm thinking it would be worth experimenting with the potato halushky to get it just right,
and I'll probably do it very soon. I usually make the egg version, too, and never have a problem
with the "recipe" I use. A neighbor taught me how to make them years ago. I don't have an "official"
struhadlo, but I do have a spaetzle maker. It's not the style like a grater with the sliding pusher.
It shaped like a large strainer made of tinned sheet steel, the bottom of which has holes
approxinmately 1/4 inch in diameter. I use a wooden spoon or sometimes a rubber spatula to push it
through. I've never gotten the knack of flicking it off of a plate with a knife. (Most of it ended
up in the water all at once!)
> The kraut was the biggest disappointment and my own danged fault. What the hell was I thinking? It
> was homemade and I poured it from the jar into the skillet without first tasting or rinsing it. It
> needed serious rinsing. It was so sour that it hampered our enjoyment of it. ****!
I love sauerkraut, but most of the homemade stuff has to be rinsed. I never rinse most of what I buy
in the store. In fact, some of it tastes pretty bland.
> I usually make egg halushky, Wayne: An egg or two with a little salt and flour beaten in to a
> thick batter. If too thick, thin a bit with water or milk. If too thin, add some more flour. If
> too thick, add some more. . . one can get a large batch of halushky by virtue of screwing around
> until the batter is just right. Define "just right." "Just right" and the batter will barely fall
> through the holes by itself; I push it across the holes with a rubber scraper. Too thin and it
> drips on through before you can get it over the kettle of water. Then you cuss a little.
Oh, I know all about "just right"! <G> It takes a bit of doing. If I'm serving this to guests I
always make the halushky before they arrive, then allow them to "rest" in a bit of cool water so
they stay tender. Later I drain well and re-warm in butter, sometimes browning them a bit. The one
time I decided to make them with an audience because someone wanted to watch, I ended up with enough
halushky to feed Cox's army! That was after adjusting and adjusting and adjusting!
> Boil a large quantity of water and push the thick batter through the struhadlo (grater) into the
> boiling water, when they rise to the top, boil for a moment, then drain. If the batter is too
> thin, they'll fall apart in the water; if it's too thick, they'll just take longer to cook. Spray
> the grater (I have an official halushky struhadlo and also a coarse flat grater from Target that
> does the trick nicely) on both sides with Pam before pushing the batter through.
That's a great suggestion! The Pam, that is. The batter always sticks to everything it touches. I
will definitely remember that.
>
> I'm coming to your house for supper, Wayne.
You're definitely invited! I like to serve them with baked kraut or fried cabbage or, one of my
favorites, with chicken paprikash. I've never had it with cottage cheese because I don't care for
cottage cheese unless it's baked into something where I can't recognize it, like a cheesecake.
Thanks for the potato instructions. I can't wait to try it that way!
Wayne
