Zapappy

Name: Żurek
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 5890 min
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 3/4 cup, spooned and leveled; 2 cups plus 2 tbsp, Filtered and warmed to 70–80°F / 21–27°C; 2 medium cloves, Peeled and lightly crushed; 2 leaves; 5 berries; 6 cups, divided, Unsalted; 1 lb, Fresh raw Polish white sausage, preferably 4 links; 1 medium carrot, Peeled and halved lengthwise; 1 medium root, Peeled and halved lengthwise; One 3 1/2-oz piece, Peeled and quartered; 2 leaves; 6 berries; 8 peppercorns; 3 oz, Cut into 1/4-inch / 6-mm dice; 1 medium onion, Cut into 1/4-inch / 6-mm dice; 3 medium cloves, Finely grated; 2 tsp, divided; 2 tbsp, divided, Plain prepared horseradish; 1/2 cup, Full-fat and at room temperature; 1/2 tsp, Diamond Crystal kosher salt; 1/4 tsp, Freshly ground; 3 large eggs; 1/2 tsp, For finishing the bowls; 2 tsp, Plain prepared horseradish, for finishing

Cooking

Ingredients

Zakwas

3/4 cup, spooned and leveled
2 cups plus 2 tbsp, Filtered and warmed to 70–80°F / 21–27°C
2 medium cloves, Peeled and lightly crushed
2 leaves
5 berries

Soup

6 cups, divided, Unsalted
1 lb, Fresh raw Polish white sausage, preferably 4 links
1 medium carrot, Peeled and halved lengthwise
1 medium root, Peeled and halved lengthwise
One 3 1/2-oz piece, Peeled and quartered
2 leaves
6 berries
8 peppercorns
3 oz, Cut into 1/4-inch / 6-mm dice
1 medium onion, Cut into 1/4-inch / 6-mm dice
3 medium cloves, Finely grated
2 tsp, divided
2 tbsp, divided, Plain prepared horseradish
1/2 cup, Full-fat and at room temperature
1/2 tsp, Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1/4 tsp, Freshly ground

For serving

3 large eggs
1/2 tsp, For finishing the bowls
2 tsp, Plain prepared horseradish, for finishing

Directions

1. Ferment the zakwas

On day 1, combine whole rye flour and water in a clean {{tool:glass-jar}} with a 1-qt / 1-L capacity. Stir thoroughly with a clean {{tool:wooden-spoon}}, scraping the bottom until no dry pockets remain. Add garlic, bay leaf, and allspice berries. Cover with a {{tool:lid}} left slightly loose so gas can escape.
Keep the jar out of direct sunlight at 68–75°F / 20–24°C. Stir from the bottom with a clean spoon every 24 hours, then replace the loose lid. Separation into flour sediment and cloudy liquid is normal.
Begin checking on day 4. The zakwas is ready when it smells cleanly sour and cereal-like, shows fine bubbles after stirring, and tastes distinctly tart without bitterness or a rotten aroma. At 68°F / 20°C it may require 5–6 days; near 75°F / 24°C it is often ready in 4–5 days.
Discard the zakwas if it develops fuzzy mold, pink or orange discoloration, or a putrid odor. When ready, remove the bay leaf and allspice berries, leaving the fermented garlic in the jar. Stir the settled rye back into suspension. Use immediately, or refrigerate tightly covered for up to 7 days.

2. Cook the eggs

Place egg in a {{tool:small-saucepan}} in a single layer and cover them by 1 inch / 2.5 cm with cool water. Bring to a full boil over medium-high heat.
Cover with a {{tool:lid}}, remove from the heat, and stand for 11 minutes. Transfer the eggs to ice water for 5 minutes. Peel, rinse away any shell fragments, and halve lengthwise. Keep refrigerated if they will stand longer than 1 hour.

3. Poach the sausage and build the broth

In a {{tool:large-pot}} with a 5- to 6-qt / 4.7- to 5.7-L capacity, combine 5 1/2 cups / 1.30 L of chicken stock with biala kielbasa, carrot, parsley root, celery root, bay leaf, allspice berries, and black peppercorns. Reserve the remaining 1/2 cup / 120 ml stock.
Heat slowly until the broth reaches 175–185°F / 79–85°C and only occasional bubbles break the surface. Maintain that gentle poach for 20–25 minutes; boiling can split the sausage casings. Check with an {{tool:instant-read-thermometer}}; the links are done when their centers reach 160°F / 71°C.
Transfer the sausage to a plate with {{tool:tongs}}. Continue simmering the vegetables for 15 minutes, until the carrot and parsley root are completely tender and the broth tastes aromatic.
Set a {{tool:fine-mesh-strainer}} over a heat-safe {{tool:large-bowl}} and strain the broth, pressing the vegetables lightly but not puréeing them. Discard the spent vegetables and whole spices. Skim only obvious pools of fat; a little surface fat carries the marjoram and smoked-pork aroma.

4. Add the smoked-pork base

Wipe out the pot and return it to medium-low heat. Add smoked bacon and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has rendered some fat and is lightly golden but not brittle.
Add yellow onion and cook for 7–9 minutes, until soft and pale gold. Stir in the grated garlic and 1 1/2 tsp / 1.5 g of dried marjoram. Cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Return the strained broth to the pot. Bring it to a gentle simmer, scraping up the browned residue. Keep the total contents below two-thirds of the pot's capacity to prevent boil-over when the zakwas is added.

5. Add and calibrate the zakwas

Stir the zakwas thoroughly. With a {{tool:whisk}}, incorporate 1 1/2 cups / about 390 g into the gently simmering broth. Cook uncovered at 185–195°F / 85–91°C for 8 minutes, stirring frequently so the rye does not settle and scorch. Do not maintain a hard boil.
Cool a spoonful briefly and taste. Add the remaining zakwas in 1/4-cup / approximately 60-g portions, simmering 2 minutes and tasting after each addition. The correct endpoint is a clear, rounded lactic tartness with a rye aroma; it should be lively but not mouth-puckering. A properly fermented batch will ordinarily contribute 1 3/4–2 cups / 450–520 g in total.
If the full batch makes the soup sharper than intended, whisk in the reserved 1/2 cup / 120 ml chicken stock. If the soup is already balanced, add that stock gradually until the consistency is fluid and lightly velvety rather than thick. Simmer for 3 minutes after the final addition.

6. Finish the soup

On a clean {{tool:cutting-board}}, use a {{tool:chef-knife}} to slice the poached biala kielbasa into 1/2-inch / 1.25-cm rounds. Return it, with any accumulated juices, to the pot and simmer gently for 4–5 minutes, until heated through.
In a {{tool:mixing-bowl}}, whisk sour cream with 1/2 cup / 120 ml of hot soup, added gradually. Lower the heat and stir the tempered mixture into the pot. Add 1 tbsp / 15 g horseradish, the remaining 1/2 tsp / 0.5 g dried marjoram, kosher salt, and black pepper.
Heat for 2–3 minutes without boiling. Taste only after the sausage, bacon, zakwas, and sour cream are fully incorporated. Add the remaining 1 tbsp / 15 g horseradish; it should sharpen the aroma without overwhelming the fermented rye. Because both bacon and biała kiełbasa contribute salt, add no further salt unless a cooled spoonful tastes distinctly flat.
Remove from the heat, cover with the {{tool:lid}}, and rest for 10 minutes. The finished Żurek should coat a spoon only lightly, with visible suspended rye particles and a pourable, broth-like consistency.

7. Serve

Divide the sausage and bacon among 6 warmed {{tool:serving-bowls}} and use a {{tool:ladle}} to portion the hot Żurek. Place one half of the cooked egg in each bowl.
Finish with the serving portion of dried marjoram and about 1/3 tsp / 1.5–2 g horseradish per bowl. Serve with Polish rye bread, dill potatoes, ćwikła, or fermented cucumbers as desired.