Slovak sheep's cheese pierogi with bacon (Bryndzové pirohy)

1. Boil the potatoes in their skins, peel and mash while still warm; let them cool, then mix smoothly with the sheep's cheese (bryndza is salty, so the filling needs no salt).

2. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the egg, salt and lukewarm water and knead for 5 minutes into a smooth, elastic dough; cover and rest for 20 minutes.

3. Roll the dough out 2 mm thin on a floured board and cut out rounds with an 8 cm glass. Put a teaspoon of filling in the middle of each round, fold in half and press the edges together firmly with a fork or your fingers.

4. Cut the bacon into small cubes and fry in a pan until crisp; take out the crackling and keep the fat.

5. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and add the pirohy in batches; once they rise to the top, cook for another 3-4 minutes, then lift out with a slotted spoon and toss in the bacon fat.

6. Serve sprinkled generously with the crackling and chopped spring onions, with a spoonful of sour cream.

Tip: Bryndza is a protected aged sheep's cheese from the mountains of Slovakia; this dish is the twin of bryndzové halušky and a Slovak family Sunday lunch – a soft salty sheep's cheese or curd substitutes perfectly.