Demikát

Cut the bacon into small cubes and place in a dry heavy-bottomed pot. Render the fat over medium heat and fry the bacon until crispy, 4-5 minutes. Set aside half the crispy bits on a plate for serving, leaving the rest in the pot.

Add the finely chopped onion to the bacon and sauté in the rendered fat until soft and translucent, 3-4 minutes.

Add the potatoes, cut into 1.5-2 cm cubes, along with the paprika and cumin, stir, and warm through for 1 minute until the spices become fragrant.

Pour in the hot broth, bring to a boil, and cook over medium heat for 15-18 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

Remove the pot from the heat and blend the contents with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.

Return to low heat, crumble the brynza into the soup, and stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes until it fully dissolves — brynza tends to settle at the bottom.

Pour in the cream, heat the soup through without letting it boil hard, and season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Ladle the demikát into bowls, sprinkle with chopped green onion and the reserved crispy bacon bits; serve with croutons if desired.