Cvikla s Chrenom - Beet and Horseradish Relish

Beet and Horseradish are two roots that make a great relish for the Slovak Easter ham (much like cranberry sauce with turkey for Thanksgiving). There is a similar relish used for the Passover lamb but it has a higher horseradish/beet ratio. It's best to start this recipe a couple days before serving so you have time to adjust the horseradish to taste. This recipe is really simple. You will need:

Beets (see below)
Horseradish (see below)
White vinegar
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
(I apologize for my horrible photography skills. Please pretend this 
is a beautiful bowl of grated beet relish, not a steak or 
something/someone else that found its way through the wood chipper)

Beets: For an authentic taste, you will use 2 beets. Peel them, cut off the stem, chop into 2-inch cubes, and boil for 30-40 mins. Drain and finely grate or run through a food processor. Set aside. You can use 14 oz. pickled beets instead and skip the boiling process, but it won't taste quite as good as fresh beets.

Horseradish: The prevailing rule here is to add horseradish to taste. There are three ways to prepare the horseradish.


  • The easiest is to buy a prepared minced horseradish in a jar. When using this kind, make sure you add about 1/2 cup horseradish for every 2 cups of beets. 
  • A more authentic way is to zest raw horseradish root. Add 2 Tbsp. to the recipe, let sit overnight, then decide whether to add more. The potency of raw horseradish varies widely but you might want to add up to 3/4 cup for every 2 cups of beets.
  • Finally, you can peel the horseradish root, boil it, then zest it or grate it in the food processor. This will mellow out the flavor a bit, so you will want about 1 cup horseradish per 2 cups beets.

Mix all the ingredients together with about 1-2 Tbsp. vinegar if you used pickled beets, and 1/3-2/3 cups if you used fresh beets. Cover and chill overnight. I recommend adding half the vinegar when you first make it, then add the rest a day later if it needs more. Serve with ham and deviled eggs and be sure not to stain your clothes.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pasta with olives and peppers, Trecce dell'orto alla contandina - Recipe

Image
Trecce dell'orto alla contandina I don't know how it happens, but I always have plenty of pasta on hand. I seem unable to follow the very sensible "use it up before buying new" rule. Now I'm trying to use up the dried pantry goods before year end. So that I can start the New Year with fresh stuff! Ha!Ha! What do I have here? Fattora pasta A package of multi-coloured pasta called Trecce dell'orto. Google translate says it is " Braids of the garden". Don't you just love the poetic names Italians give their pasta? The manufacturer describes these braids as "Durum wheat semolina pasta with vegetables, spices, aromatic grasses and squid ink". Close up of Trecce dell'orto, Braids of the garden I have never used this type of pasta so I decided to try the recipe printed on the package. It is in Italian but that is not a big problem. Not when there is translation software. Let's start with the name of the ...
Read more

The Slovak Christmas Eve Dinner Menu

The Slovak Christmas Eve dinner does not contain dairy or animal products because the day before the Feast of the Nativity is one of strict fast and spiritual preparation. Here are some foods likely to be served. Their appearance depends upon whether the family is Roman Catholic, Byzantine or Orthodox. Bandurky -- Potatoes, usually boiled, to which onions sauteed in oil have been added. Many families prepare potatoes that are mashed and mixed with peas or prunes. Bobalky -- Small balls of dough prepared with honey and poppy seeds or sauerkraut Borscht -- Beet soup sometimes prepared with cabbage Fasolji -- Prepared brown bean paste spread onto bread Garlic -- Eaten raw on the Christmas bread dipped in honey, intended to keep away the evil spirits Holuby -- Cabbage rolls stuffed with ground mushrooms and rice Hribi -- Mushrooms sauteed with onions in oil Kapusta i bandurky -- Sauerkraut mixed with grated potatoes Kasa -- Rice, sometimes served as a separate dish with zapraska or...
Read more

Vepřo-Knedlo-Zelo - Roast Pork with Cabbage and Dumplings

Image
This is the Czech national dish.  I had it many times in Slovakia as well. As the name indicates, there are three main components to this dish: (1) Vepřo - Roast Pork, (2) Knedlo - Dumpling, and (3) Zelo - Cabbage.  There are many variations to this, but you usually need the following for 4 people: 1 pork roast (traditionally a pork loin joint, but I use a leaner pork sirloin tip roast plus a smoked hock for flavor) 3-4 Tbsp. caraway seeds 2 yellow onions 3 cloves garlic 2 Tbsp. butter Salt and Pepper (have a decent amount on hand) 1 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil 16 oz. sauerkraut 2 tsp. powdered sugar 3 Tbsp. dry yeast (not a typo, that's really how much yeast you need) 3 cups flour 1 egg 1/2-2/3 cup breadcrumbs (or two dinner rolls) Procedure: Set roast out to thaw for 8-12 hours if frozen Begin preparing roast as outlined in Part I, leave in slow cooker Prepare dough in Part II and leave to rise Prepare cabbage in Part III and leave to simmer Start heating water to boi...
Read more