Semmelkren (Bread Horseradish Sauce)

December 20, 2016

Semmelkren (Bread Horseradish Sauce) - kvalifood.com

Semmelkren is a Viennese condiment made from stale bread rolls soaked in hot beef broth and mixed with freshly grated horseradish. Day-old rolls are essential - they absorb liquid properly without becoming gluey. The sauce is thick, somewhere between a paste and a porridge, and is traditionally served cold alongside Tafelspitz (boiled beef) or smoked meats.

Ingredients

Serves 4

3 stale bread rolls (Semmeln/Kaisersemmel, ~150 g total), cut into small cubes
400 ml beef broth (or reserved Tafelspitz cooking liquid)
30 g fresh horseradish root, peeled and finely grated
2 tbsp sour cream (~30 g)
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Cut the stale bread rolls into small cubes, roughly 1-1.5 cm.
Bring the beef broth to a boil in a pot.
Add the bread cubes to the hot broth and stir well. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bread has softened and absorbed the liquid.
Whisk or stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until you get a thick, sauce-like consistency. Do not use a blender - it makes the mixture gluey. Add a splash more broth if it is too thick.
Let the mixture cool to room temperature. The sauce will thicken further as it cools.
Once cooled, stir in the freshly grated horseradish and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve cold or at room temperature.

Notes

Adding the horseradish after cooling preserves its full pungency. If you prefer a milder, rounder flavor, stir it into the warm (not boiling) sauce instead.
For a warm version: skip the cooling step, stir in the horseradish just before serving, and use 100 ml heavy cream in place of sour cream for a richer result.
Freshness of the horseradish root matters enormously. A freshly dug root will be far more pungent than one that has sat in the fridge for weeks.
The sauce is best served within a few hours. Refrigerated, it keeps 1-2 days but loses horseradish intensity.
Day-old rolls are essential. Fresh rolls have too much moisture and create a gummy texture.
If using jarred horseradish: it will work but the result will be noticeably less sharp. Use about 50% more by volume to compensate.