I always believe that something you can make yourself is probably going to be better than something you buy – well, apart from fancy sugarcraft things. I am far too ham fisted and clumsy to turn out beautifully sculpted flowers, say. Actually, anything dainty is probably beyond me, now I think about it.
But I can do all sorts of other things…and horseradish sauce is one of those things. You can buy it of course, but then you are at the mercy of the makers… the heat will be determined by them, as will the level of sharpness. Making it yourself means you can tweak it until you get the perfect sauce for you. I like mine creamy and not too hot, so that’s how I make it.
That’s a horseradish root.
My mother has it growing outside the kitchen door, in a brick edged raised bed. You need to keep the plant confined, otherwise it will be romping happily through your garden (and probably your neighbour’s) without so much as a by-your-leave. Delicious though horseradish sauce is, I don’t think anyone will be eating pints of it everyday, so keep the plant in a decent pot or a raised bed.
Anyway… how about this for simple?
Now, one thing you should be aware of, that grating horseradish can make you eyes water.. it is so strong the fumes can waft up and before you know it, you have tears streaming down your face.
Bute here’s a trick to help avoid it… freeze it!
I clean the root and pop it in the freezer and grate it frozen. That stops the volatile fumes getting in your eyes.
When I am ready to use it, I get it out and peel the outer skin from maybe an inch or so of the end.
Just grate away.
(You might need to wrap the root in a tea towel because it IS frozen solid and I don’t know about you but my fingers get so very cold) Once you have grated an inch or so, wrap the remainder of the root in cling film and put it back in the freezer ready for the next time.
You’ll need to add at least a teaspoon or so of sugar to the grated root – I use golden caster sugar, as it dissolves quickly.
For sharpness, the juice of half a lemon is just perfect.
And to make it perfectly creamy, a tablespoon of double cream is just the thing
And now? Just stir it round, mixing it all together.
It’s a good idea to do it an hour or so before hand so all the flavours can blend in and settle down to make….
… a beautifully textured sauce.
Just the thing to serve with beautifully roasted rib of beef…..