Silesian Zurek – Wholegrain flour soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 100 g rye meal
• 500 ml water
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 100 g bacon
• 250 g ham sausage or boiled sausage or Vienna sausage, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 onion(s), sliced
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp crackling lard
• 1 tbsp butter
• 4 waxy potatoes
• 3 eggs, hard-boiled
• n. B. carrot(s)
• 500 ml broth
• Salt and pepper, black
• marjoram
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 allspice berries
• n. B. Mushrooms, dried

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest period approx. 5 days; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 5 days 1 hour 30 minutes

Zurek is a sour flour soup, a traditional recipe from Poland. However, preparation should begin 5 to 7 days in advance. Five to seven days before cooking the soup, begin preparing the sourdough starter. Place the rye groats in a jar and add 400 ml of lukewarm water. Do not seal the jar; instead, place a sheet of parchment or baking paper over it and secure it with a rubber band. Poke a few holes in the paper with a fork to allow it to breathe. Leave the jar at room temperature for 5 to 7 days. Stir once a day. On the third day, add a clove of garlic and a pinch of salt. During this time, the rye groats will ferment. On the day of preparation, lightly fry the sausage, bacon, sliced ​​garlic, and sliced ​​onion in a pan with cracklings, butter, and sesame oil. Add the potatoes (jacket potatoes are also fine). If desired, cook sliced ​​or diced carrots separately. In a large pot, heat the broth with bay leaves, marjoram, pepper, and allspice and simmer for about 10 minutes. If you like, you can add some dried mushrooms as an ingredient. Add all the prepared ingredients from the pan to the broth. At the end, slowly pour the fermented meal into the soup and simmer for five minutes, stirring constantly. If desired, fold in a little cream and season with salt and pepper. Hard-boil the eggs in a separate pot, drain, refresh in cold water, and peel. Slice and add to the soup. Serve the soup with mashed potatoes or buttered bread, or simply as a starter. Vienna sausages also go well with it as a bonus side dish. It tastes even better the next day if there are any leftovers.