Ham and Noodle Bake (Šunkofleky)
·Cook the meat
Cook the smoked meat in salted water with black pepper, allspice and a bay leaf. The meat needs to be nice and tender. Careful — this time we won't use the broth as soup; set it aside instead.
Cook the pasta
Cook the pasta in the broth from the smoked meat — no need to salt the water again. Boil until tender, following the timing on the pack. Before draining, scoop out a mug of the cooking broth and set it aside.
Add the eggs
Once the pasta has cooled slightly, stir in the egg yolks (set the whites aside for later). Add a knob of butter for a rich, mellow flavor.
Add the meat
Trim the meat off the bone, chop it up and add it to the pasta. Mix well, then stir in the reserved broth from cooking the pasta.
Fold in the cream and egg whites
Whisk the egg whites into stiff peaks. Stir the cream into the pasta first, then very gently fold in the whisked egg whites — this is what makes the bake so light and fluffy. From experience, I can recommend a Kenwood stand mixer, which whips up truly perfect stiff peaks.
Bake
Pour the mixture into a buttered baking dish and bake in an oven preheated to 190°C for about 20–30 minutes, until golden. Serve with fresh parsley, chives and a pickled cucumber on the side.