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I have a craving for horseradish at the moment, so I dug out a good, old, traditional recipe - the kind if food I got at my grand-aunts' and grandparent's home.
The gravy could be made vegetarian or vegan - and I think it would be great with a mix of baked root vegetables.
Veal (or beef) breast in horseradish gravy
2 servings
300 gram of veal or beef breast (or some equivalent type of veal or beef meat) - preferably a whole piece, though diced would be okay, too
2.5-3 dl (deciliter) water
2 dl white wine (or water with 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar)
1 small onion, quartered
1 small carrot, in sticks or diagonal slices (it's for taste, doesn't need to look nice)
1 bit of root celery, almost as much as the carrot (also for taste, and optional - could also be a bit of leaf celery)
1/2 teaspoon peppercorn
1/2 tespoon whole coriander seed
1 nip allspice
1-2 bay leaves
Sauce
2 teaspoon butter
3-4 teaspoon wheat flour
2-3 tablespoon cream (any kind - the gravy is thickened with starch, so "light" creams work fine, too)
1 large tablespoon fresh, finely shredded horseradish
3.5-4 dl of the cooking liquid
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vinegar (plain white, "kitchen vinegar")
Serve with:
Baked parsnip and boiled potatoes (or baked potato wedges, which is easier if you already bake the parsnips).
The meat can be cooked in a slow cooker as well as a pot. In the slow cooker it can easily do 8 hours. Simmered in a pot, it takes 2-3 hours.
Put the meat, onion, vegetables, water, wine, and spices into a cooking pot or slow cooker pot and let it simmer until done.
About half an hour before dinner time: prepare the potatoes. If boiled, you know what to do. If baked, slice them into wedges, coat with a little oil and perhaps a bit of thyme. They need 25 min. at 200 C in a convection oven.
When you've put the potatoes in the oven, clean and cut the parsnips into halfs or quarters. Coat with a little oil and add to the potatoes after 7-10 min. Parsnips need 15-17 min.
Pull out the meat from the cooking liquid and slice it (7-8 mm).
Melt 2 teaspoon of butter in a small saucepan. While waiting for it to melt, pour the cooking liquid into a bowl, and strain it in the process. There should be about 3.5-4 dl. This is supposed to be a "white", light-coloured, gravy, so - for looks at least - it's important to strain it well.
Add the flour to the melted butter and whisk. It should create a firm roux - a "flour-ball". Don't brown it.
Add the cooking liquid little by little, while stirring with a whisk. Add the cream, horseradish, vinegar, sugar, salt and perhaps a little white pepper. Bring it to a gentle boil for a few minutes. If necessary adjust the taste with more horseradish, salt, sugar and vinegar - depending on how strong and sharp you want the taste (it's not supposed to be a sweet-and-sour gravy, so go light on the sugar and vinegar).
Add the meat back into the sauce for re-heating, while you deal with the potatoes and baked parsnips. Serve the meat in the sauce in a serving dish - arrange the slices and then pour a little of the gravy over. Serve the rest of the gravy in a gravy boat.
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