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1. In a clean glass jar, whisk together the rye flour and lukewarm water until smooth and lump-free. Add the garlic cloves (lightly crushed) and stir to combine. Cover the jar loosely with a cloth or loosely fitted lid (allow gas to escape) and leave at room temperature (20–24°C / 68–75°F) for 24 hours to ferment. The starter is ready when it smells pleasantly sour and you see tiny bubbles forming on the surface.
0.5 cup Rye flour,
2 cup Water (lukewarm, for żurek starter),
2 clove Garlic cloves (for starter)
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2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Halve the onion and place it cut-side down in the dry area of the pot to char slightly for 2–3 minutes — this adds depth to the broth. Add the carrots, parsnip, leek, and garlic cloves for broth. Pour in the water for broth, then add the bay leaves, allspice berries, and black peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
2 piece Bay leaves,
4 piece Allspice berries,
6 piece Whole black peppercorns,
2 piece Carrots,
1 piece Parsnip,
1 piece Leek,
1 piece Yellow onion,
3 clove Garlic cloves (for broth),
1 tbsp Olive oil,
6 cup Water (for broth)
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3. Remove the cooked vegetables, bay leaves, allspice, and peppercorns from the broth using a slotted spoon or strainer — discard them. You should have a clear, flavourful golden broth.
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4. Peel and dice the potatoes into 2 cm cubes. Add them to the strained broth and cook over medium heat for 15–18 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife.
4 piece Waxy potatoes
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5. While the potatoes cook, hard-boil the eggs: place them in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, then cook for 10 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath or cold running water, then peel and halve them. Set aside.
4 piece Eggs
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6. Once the potatoes are tender, reduce the heat to low. Slowly pour the fermented rye starter through a fine mesh sieve directly into the soup, pressing the solids gently to extract maximum flavour. Discard the solids. Stir well and simmer gently for 5 minutes — do not boil vigorously or the sour flavour will diminish.
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7. In a small bowl, temper the sour cream: add 2–3 ladles of hot soup to the sour cream and whisk until smooth. Then pour the tempered mixture back into the pot, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Add the dried marjoram, horseradish, salt, and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning — the soup should be tangy, creamy, aromatic, and gently peppery.
2 tsp Dried marjoram,
0.5 cup Sour cream,
1.5 tsp Salt,
0.5 tsp White pepper,
1 tbsp Horseradish (prepared or freshly grated)
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8. Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Place two hard-boiled egg halves into each bowl, cut side up. Garnish with freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley and serve immediately.
4 piece Eggs,
2 tbsp Fresh flat-leaf parsley (garnish)
By james