Żurek

== Description ==
Traditional Polish soup
== Ingredients ==
thumb|300px|Żurek
=== Zakwas ===
* 1,5 l boiled and then cooled water
* ¾ cup white rye flour - 
* ¼ cup whole wheat rye flour - (if you don't have whole wheat, just take 1 cup of white)
* 5 garlic cloves
* 1 slice of whole wheat bread
=== Soup ===
* laska (raw white sausage) - it's a Polish fresh sausage (do not eat it raw!) seasoned and prepared for boiling, for a 2 liter soup use two to three pieces (in Polish "laska" also means a girl),
* 1 round or straight piece smoked sausage
* potatoes - peeled and in 2-3 cm pieces (do not use a ruler, please)
* 1 garlic head, split into cloves and peeled
* 1 handful of marjoram
== Directions ==
=== Zakwas ===
# First you need to ferment the flour (make "zakwas"). The ingredients are for 1,5 liter jug of zakwas.
# It's really a lot (for a huge party - 5 or more liters of soup) so ½ of ingredients will be enough for the first time.
# Take a stone pot or glass jug (no metal!) with capacity more than 1,5 l (the "zakwas" will ferment and will need space).
# Add flour and half of water, stir it thoroughly to avoid clots.
# Add rest of water.
# Peel the garlic, you may cut in in half, but do not chop.
# Add a slice of bread, make certain than bread is totally under water.
# Cover with dishcloth just to avoid anything to land in it but not to cut the air access and leave it in the cool place for a few (3-5) days.
# If you don't have a cool (not cold!) place, you can put the jug a basin with warm water (and refill it regularly).
# Every now and then check, if bread is under water - it may mold easily (if it's moldy - throw it out and start over with fresh ingredients).
# Now there's the trick - it's not easy to judge if it's ready.
# The fluid should be opaque, not moldy in any case, greyish in color and smell nice (yes, it's subjective).
# There may be some bubbles.
# If you don't want to make the żurek right now, put zakwas to the fridge.
=== Now for the soup ===
# Cover the white sausages with water and boil.
# Cut smoked sausage in four the long way and then in thin slices.
# Add to already boiled white sausages.
# After 5 minutes of boiling, add potatoes, pressed garlic and marjoram (you may add some salt, but sausages are salty).
# Boiling, boiling and when potatoes are soft, add zakwas (but not all - add a part and taste, if it's not too sour, add more).
# You can add some butter, salt or more garlic to taste.
# Best on the next day (after you cool it down and boil again).
== Also ==
* the longer zakwas ferments, the more sour it will get (no exaggeration - after a week of fermenting it may be inedible).
* you can add hard boiled eggs on the plate, garnish with parsley -- add some more marjoram and pepper.
* if zakwas is not sour enough, some addition of fresh lemon juice will do.
__NOTOC__
Category:Polish Soups
Category:Sausage Recipes
Category:Potato Recipes
Category:Garlic Recipes
Category:Rye flour Recipes