PHOTOGRAPHS ANDREW MONTGOMERY STYLING OLIVIA WARDLE
In my household, no piece of British roast beef is ever eaten without a dollop of homemade horseradish sauce on the side.
But this fiery member of the mustard family isn’t from Britain – in fact, Armoracia rusticana (its botanical name) is native to Eastern Europe and grew wild in Russia, Poland and Finland. Yet it’s been grown here since the 16th century and become part of British culinary heritage, probably as a result of its use in Jewish and eastern European dishes.
The key to the root’s heat lies in the preparation – the spicy bite is almost absent from the white fleshy root until it’s finely grated or ground. It’s only on contact with the air that the volatile compound isothiocyanate (a type of mustard oil) is released – and saliva helps to develop its bite.
Horseradish is always used raw and served cold because its volatile oils quickly disappear when heated. In fact, the pungency starts to diminish from the moment the root is grated, so it’s best not to grate it too far ahead. Commercial horseradish sauces use vinegar to preserve the heat, but this alters the taste too. Nothing beats a sauce made from the freshly grated root.
As well as with my Sunday roast beef, I love a touch of horseradish in a Bloody Mary, a marie rose sauce for a prawn cocktail and in macaroni cheese. It’s also fab beaten into cream cheese, spread onto rye bread, then topped with smoked salmon. And it makes a great sauce for roast pork when mixed with grated apple, soured cream, chopped mint and a touch of sugar.
So next time you’re cooking roast beef, buy some fresh horseradish instead of the stuff in a jar. The difference will knock your socks off!
PERFECT MATCHES
The ingredients horseradish loves… Cold meats such as ham, tongue and corned beef
Roast beef
Smoked fish
Beetroot
Eggs
Herbs such as dill, fennel, rosemary and thyme
HOW TO MAKE CLASSIC FRESH HORSERADISH SAUCE
Wash the root, then peel away just enough skin to reveal the white root for grating. Use a fine grater (I use a Microplane) but don’t go down to the woody central core.
Grate the horseradish into a small bowl, add a splash of white wine vinegar, then season with a little salt and a pinch of sugar. Mix in some soured cream to soften the heat, if you like. And that’s it – done.
HOW TO STORE ANY LEFTOVER ROOT