Bleki, Slovenia's Favorite Noodle

Bleki are nothing more than homemade pasta or egg noodles, cut into square or rectangular shapes.

I discovered bleki in the course of tracking down my grandmother's Mystery Soup, which turned out to be the Slovenian take on pasta fazool, or pasta and bean soup.  But evidently the pasta had the starring role, at least in my mother's family, since she referred to the soup simply as "black-eh."

In fact, bleki have an oddly exalted status in Slovenian cooking.  An entry on the official Slovenian Tourist Board website describes this "simple dish"  as a "special treat." Bleki were associated with special occasions in rural life, like finishing up the harvest or picking grapes.  A recent cookbook by a Slovenian academician and cooking expert describes it as a "high dish," often served with a cream sauce and pancetta.

To make the bleki for the pašta fažul, I used the dough I had used in the previous week's rezanci.  It's a simple recipe:

2 eggs
1 1/4 c. flour
1/4 t. salt

Mix and knead, adding a little water if needed.  Cover and let rest 15 minutes.  Roll out thinly.

Here is where plain old noodles become bleki:  Cut the dough into squares or rectangles.  I aimed for  2 cm x 3 cm rectangles, but if you look at the photo below, you will see that those shapes varied in size.

Let the pasta squares dry on a dishcloth for an hour.  Cook in boiling salted water until done.  Not long, in other words.  Drain and use as you will.


That's it!

Homemade noodles and pasta are delicious, no question about it.  Not to mention a little labor intensive.

So what is so special about bleki?  Just the shape?

It took me awhile to figure it out.  Yes, it has to be the shape.  Standard noodles or rezanci are quicker to make, and it is easier to create uniform sizes.  You just roll up multiple layers of dough and slice. At least that's the theory.  I had a problem with the layers of noodles sticking together.

Blecki, on the other hand, take more time and a better eye:

So far, I have use bleki just one way, in soup.  But I'm ready to branch out.  Next time, I'll try it with one of those creamy pancetta sauces.  But I'll wait for a special occasion to make bleki the centerpiece of the meal.  

Egg Noodles (Rezanci)

When I set out to make homemade egg noodles to go along with the chicken paprikash in my Week 11 Dinner, I felt as though I was channeling my grandmother. 

I used to watch her roll out noodle dough on the wooden table of her little kitchen in Cleveland.  She made it look so easy. I was fascinated by the tiny, even yellow filaments she created.

My three vintage cookbooks all offered multiple recipes for noodles.  The ingredients were simple: eggs, flour, salt, sometimes a bit of water.  The proportions varied a little.  As  I suspected, the secret wasn't in the ingredients.  It was all a matter of the technique.

I followed the directions of the Progressive Slovene Women.

2 eggs
1 1/4 c. flour
1/4 t. salt

Beat eggs.  Add flour and salt. Knead dough until soft and pliable, adding a bit more flour if needed.  Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.   Roll out on a floured board as thin as possible. Let dry for an hour.

Cut dough into four sections and put one piece on top of the other.  Roll up into a tight roll. Cut into 1/4 inch slices.

Unroll.  Spread noodles on towel to dry.

Cook in boiling salted water or broth for 15 minutes.  Drain, add a little oil or butter, and serve.

The verdict?  The noodles were good.  But they were a little thicker than I might have liked.  I had a problem with the dough sticking together, when I tried to cut that four layer roll.  I  had to pry the noodles apart!  Next time, I may add more flour or increase the drying time.  And I'll make sure to roll the dough thinner.

But it was worth the effort.  And I figured I'd have the chance to perfect my technique in future dinners, considering the Slovenian penchant for dumplings and noodles.