Zlikrofi
Small Slovenian dumplings from Idrija, shaped like little hats and filled with potato, bacon and marjoram, boiled for 5 minutes.
Photograph credit: #Žlikrofi #bestmomentever #slovenija #idrija by Andrea Skerlavaj · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Flickr · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Compare them with pierogi and you find a smaller, finer dumpling shaped like a tiny hat. Žlikrofi are the dumplings of Idrija in western Slovenia, filled with potato, bacon and herbs, and they are protected as a regional speciality. They are served with a rich meat sauce, or with butter and sage.
The dough is flour, eggs, water and a pinch of salt, kneaded for 10 minutes until smooth and rested for 30 minutes. For the filling, boil floury potatoes and mash them dry. Fry diced bacon and onion until golden and mix into the potato with marjoram, chives, salt and pepper. Chill the filling until it is stiff, then roll it into small balls the size of a hazelnut.
Roll the dough out as thin as you can and cut into 4 cm squares. Put a ball in the centre of each square, fold the dough over diagonally to a triangle, pinch the edges and then fold the corners back to shape the hat. Boil in salted water for 5 minutes after they float. Serve with sage butter, or a meat sauce made from beef and tomato.
Questions About Zlikrofi
How long does Zlikrofi take to make?
1 hour of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking, plus 30 minutes of resting, so allow 1 hour 50 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 6.
The Method for Zlikrofi
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
-
Knead the flour, eggs, water and pinch of salt for 10 minutes. Rest for 30 minutes.
-
While the dough rests, boil the potatoes for 25 minutes, then peel and mash them dry. Fry the bacon and onion for 8 minutes and mix into the potato with the marjoram, chives, salt and pepper. Chill until stiff.
-
Roll the filling into 40 small balls. Roll the dough very thin and cut into 4 cm squares.
-
Put a ball on each square, fold to a triangle, pinch the edges and fold the corners back.
-
Boil in salted water for 5 minutes after they float. Toss in the butter fried with the sage.
Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.
Something wrong or unclear in this recipe? Report a problem with this recipe.
Worth Getting Right
- Chill the filling until stiff.
- Roll the dough very thin.
- Pinch the edges firmly.
What to Serve With It
Meat sauce · Sage butter · Red wine
Leftovers and Storage
Freeze uncooked for 2 months. Keeps 1 day in the fridge.
Nutrition per Serving
Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: part of the energy comes from foods, or weights per item, with no recorded source. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
Cooked this? Keep a note for next time
Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
You Might Also Like
More Slovenian cooking and dinner ideas from Weekly Delight.
Jota Soup
A thick Slovenian soup of beans, sauerkraut, potatoes and smoked pork simmered for 1 hour with garlic and bay.
Slovak Bryndzove Pirohy
Slovak potato dumplings filled with sharp sheep cheese, boiled for 10 minutes and topped with crisp bacon and soured…
Kniddelen
Small boiled flour dumplings from a thick egg and milk batter, tossed in browned butter and bacon, ready in 35…
Rookworst
A Dutch smoked sausage warmed in hot water for 20 minutes and served with sauerkraut mash and gravy.
Makaronilaatikko
A Finnish baked macaroni casserole of minced beef, onion, milk and egg, baked for 45 minutes and served with ketchup…
Pastel de Choclo
A beef and chicken filling under a thick layer of ground fresh corn and basil, baked in earthenware and sprinkled…