This is something I grew up eating because it was something my mom grew up eating. My great-grandparents came from the Austrian-Hungarian Empire just before WW1 started from the border region of what is now Slovakia and Poland.
I actually still have cousins who live in Slovakia who we were able to reconnect with after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
My mom would originally make this recipe with just the Haluski dumplings and cabbage, and I added the kielbasa which she now has fully embraced as well when she makes it after a local restaurant had a Haluski Kielbasa Soup.
Watch the video on Twitch for how I made it!
Haluski and Cabbage
1/2 kielbasa, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
1 c flour
2 eggs
1/3 c water
1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Bring a medium-size pot of salted water to boil. Mix flour, eggs, and water together. Season batter with a pinch of salt & pepper. It should be the consistency of thick pancake batter or paste.
Using a whisk or spoon, drop/shake batter into boiling water so they are 1-2 inch dumplings for the most part – though many will end up being smaller and this is okay. The Haluski dumplings will rise to the top of the pot as they cook. Remove from pot 2-3 minutes after they start to float for the larger pieces, and 1-2 minutes for the smaller pieces. Set aside in a paper towel-lined bowl or plate to help them drain some of the water off of them. Repeat as necessary if you couldn’t do all the batter at once.
Slice kielbasa into 1/2-inch slices. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp of butter. Try to have a single layer of kielbasa on the bottom of the skillet to brown. Turn each slice over as it browns and renders the fat out. You should expect the kielbasa to release a bunch of fat and oil and this will help flavor the cabbage. You might have to do the kielbasa in batches to get a good caramelization on each slice. Pull kielbasa out of the pan and set aside.
Add sliced cabbage to kielbasa grease and cook until starting to wilt but still al dente. Remove and set aside with kielbasa.
Add the Haluski dumplings to skillet and brown slightly in remaining grease. Add final 3 tbsp of butter to melt with the dumplings. Toss in the cabbage and kielbasa, season with salt and pepper to taste. The kielbasa will add some salt naturally to the dish so make sure to taste before dumping in the salt since it might end up too salty. Enjoy!
Katastrophe Chef 