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| Horseradish growing wild in a country lane. |
The perfect accompaniment to your Sunday roast is growing wild in grass verges and country lanes across Yorkshire, but few people recognise it.
Green, leafy and growing in clumps, horseradish (Armoracia Rusticana) could easily be mistaken for dock leaves or comfrey. However, if you take a closer look, you'll notice that its leaves are glossier than those of comfrey and more elongated than dock leaves.
A perennial plant, horseradish is a member of the Brassica family, which includes cabbages and broccoli, as well as mustard and wasabi, which share its fiery flavour.
If you do master the art of correctly identifying it, your prize awaits you below ground – horseradish sauce is made from the plant's roots. You'll need to take a spade with you to dig down. The roots are long and white, and look a little bit like a skinny parsnip. Now is the time to locate and harvest the root before the leaves of the plant die back for winter, which makes it practically impossible to find.
Green, leafy and growing in clumps, horseradish (Armoracia Rusticana) could easily be mistaken for dock leaves or comfrey. However, if you take a closer look, you'll notice that its leaves are glossier than those of comfrey and more elongated than dock leaves.
A perennial plant, horseradish is a member of the Brassica family, which includes cabbages and broccoli, as well as mustard and wasabi, which share its fiery flavour.
If you do master the art of correctly identifying it, your prize awaits you below ground – horseradish sauce is made from the plant's roots. You'll need to take a spade with you to dig down. The roots are long and white, and look a little bit like a skinny parsnip. Now is the time to locate and harvest the root before the leaves of the plant die back for winter, which makes it practically impossible to find.
Method
Chop off the leaves and dispose of them. Take the roots and give them a good wash. You'll need to peel away the rough outer skin (as you would when preparing a parsnip or carrot) before grating the roots up finely.
Be warned; the pungent aroma will be released as soon as you start – and it's so powerful that it can irritate your eyes and sinuses. My eyes were streaming with tears when I made some recently.
If you intend to use your horseradish sauce straight away (or at least within a day or two), simply mix a tablespoon of the grated horseradish with three tablespoons of creme fraiche (or sour cream if you'd prefer a more calorific version), and then add a squeeze of lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.
To get the right balance between the flavours, you may need to add a little more horseradish or lemon juice. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth, and serve with roast beef and all the trimmings or with cold cuts.
Chop off the leaves and dispose of them. Take the roots and give them a good wash. You'll need to peel away the rough outer skin (as you would when preparing a parsnip or carrot) before grating the roots up finely.
Be warned; the pungent aroma will be released as soon as you start – and it's so powerful that it can irritate your eyes and sinuses. My eyes were streaming with tears when I made some recently.
If you intend to use your horseradish sauce straight away (or at least within a day or two), simply mix a tablespoon of the grated horseradish with three tablespoons of creme fraiche (or sour cream if you'd prefer a more calorific version), and then add a squeeze of lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.
To get the right balance between the flavours, you may need to add a little more horseradish or lemon juice. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth, and serve with roast beef and all the trimmings or with cold cuts.
How to preserve horseradish
To turn your grated horseradish into a useful store cupboard ingredient that will last for months so that you can dip into it whenever you like, you can preserve it in a sterilised jam jar using vinegar.
Simply bring malt vinegar to the boil in a saucepan and then leave it to cool.
Fill the jar with grated horse radish, compacting it down as much as possible, and then pour the cool vinegar over it, filling the jar to the top. Next time you want to make horseradish sauce, you can spoon as much as you need out of the jar and then follow the instructions above, as if you were making it using fresh horseradish.
To turn your grated horseradish into a useful store cupboard ingredient that will last for months so that you can dip into it whenever you like, you can preserve it in a sterilised jam jar using vinegar.
Simply bring malt vinegar to the boil in a saucepan and then leave it to cool.
Fill the jar with grated horse radish, compacting it down as much as possible, and then pour the cool vinegar over it, filling the jar to the top. Next time you want to make horseradish sauce, you can spoon as much as you need out of the jar and then follow the instructions above, as if you were making it using fresh horseradish.
Horseradish recipes to try
It's worth remembering that horseradish is a useful ingredient in a variety of dishes, not just an accompaniment to beef. Like wasabi, it works particularly well with seafood.
One of my favourite horseradish recipes is a South-East Asian prawn and mango salad, which is served as a starter.
A teaspoon of horseradish sauce combined with creme frache, lime juice, chopped mint, a teaspoon of brown sugar and seasoning creates a light, yet creamy, dressing with a kick.
Horseradish is also a useful ingredient in all kinds of marinades and sauces, and gives plain old mashed potato a real lift.
It's worth remembering that horseradish is a useful ingredient in a variety of dishes, not just an accompaniment to beef. Like wasabi, it works particularly well with seafood.
One of my favourite horseradish recipes is a South-East Asian prawn and mango salad, which is served as a starter.
A teaspoon of horseradish sauce combined with creme frache, lime juice, chopped mint, a teaspoon of brown sugar and seasoning creates a light, yet creamy, dressing with a kick.
Horseradish is also a useful ingredient in all kinds of marinades and sauces, and gives plain old mashed potato a real lift.
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