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Demikát — Slovak potato soup with bryndza (sheep's milk cheese) and crisp croutons
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Source: https://recipheon.com/en/recipes/soups/demikat-slovak-potato-soup-with-bryndza-sheeps-milk-cheese-and-crisp-croutons
About this recipe
Demikát is a Slovak soup whose distinctive flavor comes from bryndza, a soft, salty cheese made from sheep's milk or a blend of sheep's and cow's milk. In this version, potatoes and sautéed onion form a creamy base with a gentle hint of sweet paprika and caraway. The bryndza and sour cream are added only after the potatoes have cooked and been briefly blended, keeping the soup creamy and preserving the cheese aroma. Crisp croutons and chives added just before serving provide a contrast to its creamy texture. It makes four generous servings in about 45 minutes.
Ingredients
Bryndza soup
500 g floury potatoes, peeled weight
100 g onion, peeled weight
20 g pork lard for sautéing the onion
3 g ground sweet paprika (about 1 teaspoon)
1 g caraway seeds (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1000 ml water
250 g soft sheep's-milk or sheep-and-cow's-milk bryndza, made from pasteurized milk
100 g sour cream with 18% fat
0.5 g ground black pepper
salt for final seasoning, up to 2 g, depending on the saltiness of the bryndza
Croutons and serving
100 g stale wheat bread, weighed with the crust
10 g pork lard for the croutons
10 g fresh chives
Steps
Rinse the peeled potatoes and cut them into cubes about 1.5 cm across. Finely chop the onion and cut the bread into cubes about 1 cm across. Wash, dry and finely chop the chives. Put the bryndza and sour cream in a bowl in which you will later temper them with hot soup.
Heat 20 g lard in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until softened and just beginning to turn golden at the edges. Add the caraway seeds and stir for about 30 seconds to release their aroma.
Take the pot off the burner, add the sweet paprika and stir for a few seconds. Immediately add the potatoes and 1000 ml water so the paprika does not burn and does not become bitter. Return to the burner, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid slightly ajar for 15–20 minutes, until the potato cubes break apart easily under a fork. Meanwhile, make the croutons in the next step.
Heat the remaining 10 g lard in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Add the bread in one layer and fry for 6–8 minutes, turning frequently, until the cubes are golden on several sides and crisp. Remove from the heat and leave in the pan until serving; add them to the soup only once it is in the bowls.
Take the pot off the heat. Using an immersion blender, briefly blend the cooked potatoes with all their liquid and the onion, just until the base is uniform. Keep the blender head submerged so the hot soup does not splash; prolonged blending can make potatoes gluey.
Whisk the bryndza and sour cream together in the bowl. Gradually whisk in about 200 ml hot potato base, adding it in two portions. Pour the cheese mixture into the pot, stirring continuously. The soup should be creamy; a little natural graininess from the bryndza is fine.
AI-generated Add the pepper and taste the soup; only now add a little salt if needed. If necessary, reheat for 1–2 minutes over low heat, stirring, but do not let it boil, so the cheese and sour cream do not separate. Divide the hot soup among four bowls, sprinkle with chives and top each serving with one quarter of the croutons. Serve immediately while the croutons are crisp.
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