Jasmyne Tea

Grzaniec (Polish Hot Beer Drink)

I've been sick as a dog for over a week now, and as a result I spent Easter Sunday all alone in bed, and missed my sister's first Easter Egg Hunt. Not happy, Jan!

When telling of my woes to all and sundry, I noticed something interesting: Almost every person I told who was of European background had their own hot alcoholic beverage that they swore would make me feel better, from a shot of hot plum brandy to mulled wine. Stephen's dad went so far as to make his suggestion for me, a sort of polish version of egg-nog that they make with beer, and it really did make me feel a lot better, at least for the rest of the night. The beer he used was BeezNeez*, a honey and wheat beer, and it was absolutely divine - the entire drink hardly tasted of beer at all, and the honey in the beer went well with the spices. The sugar, while copious, is more for the froth than sweetness, although it does make a difference in the taste.

*However, he did say that any sort of European beer would work, especially a blonde ale of some sort.

Grzaniec

INGREDIENTS

2 egg yolks

4 tablespoons sugar

345mL beer (BeezNeez if possible)

1/2 flat teaspoon cinnamon

2 - 3 whole cloves

 

    1. Whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar in a large mug until fully combined.

    2. Combine the beer, cinnamon and cloves in a small saucepan and slowly bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. This should take at least 5 minutes.

    3. Slowly pour the beer mixture into the egg mixture with one hand, and whisk with the other. The resulting mixture should be warm, frothy, and completely combined. Serve immediately.

Polish Strawberry Soup (Zupa Truskawkowy)

Since I started this blog I've been wanting to put a Polish recipe on here. Stephen's dad is a proud Polish man, who loves to cook when he gets the chance, and I've been wanting to feature one of his dishes for a while now. He finally decided to share a recipe with me last week, and since it was so freaking hot, he made this chilled strawberry soup (zupa truskawkowy).

Now I'll be honest, when he said 'strawberry soup' I was expecting something clarified and desserty, but when it came out looking creamy and light, and when he started adding it to bowls of pasta I was perplexed.

The taste of the actual soup is similar to a light strawberry yoghurt, and is very smooth in texture. Straight from the fridge, it's cooling and refreshing. The pasta adds some body and textural contrast, and actually goes quite well with it. The soup was served to us as an entree, and I'm definitely looking forward to trying to make it myself :)

Polish Strawberry Soup

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sliced strawberries

2 - 3 tablespoons caster sugar

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon corn flour

1/2 cup thickened cream

1 - 2 cups cooked pasta (shells or something similar)

 

    1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine strawberries, sugar and water. Bring to boil, and then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 5 - 10 minutes, or until strawberries are soft. Puree with a stick blender or strain through a sieve, pushing the mixture through with a spoon, and pour back into the pot.

    2. Mix the cornflour with a tablespoon or two of water to make a paste, then whisk into the hot strawberry mixture. Whisk in the cream, and put the pot back onto the heat. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for two minutes, stirring constantly.

    3. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. When ready to serve, divide the cold, cooked pasta between bowls and pour the soup mixture over the pasta. Serves 4 as an entree, or 2 as a main.