H is for Creamy Horseradish Sauce

 

Horseradish is the first vegetable that comes with a caution. Instructions on the internet included, "Grate horseradish in a well-ventilated room" and "Warning! The fumes are potent". I should have paid more attention. I peeled the root. There were no fumes. I became complacent and began to grate the root vigorously. Thirty-seconds later a wave of tear-jerking fumes hit me. This was a thousand times worse than an onion. I flung open the kitchen door and scrabbled around in the drawer for a pair of goggles, leftover from a make-your-own volcano kit.
I now know that grating the horseradish and even worse, grating it finely, crushes oils in the root, releasing this all-powerful stink. It's no surprise it also goes by the name of Stingnose. To tame the Stingnose, I made a sweet creamy sauce. This is after all for children to try.

Creamy Horseradish Sauce
3 oz of grated horseradish
1oz of caster sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
200 ml creme fraiche
Pinch of salt
Finely grate the horseradish and add the lemon juice. Mix in all the other ingredients and stir well. Keep in the fridge.

Having made the horseradish sauce, I created these wraps.
Salmon and Stingnose Wrap
Delicatessan Wraps
Half a salmon fillet per wrap
A tbsp of creamy horseradish sauce
Shredded lettuce leaves

 

I suppose I never really expected Freddie or Alex to like horseradish. It is a very adult taste but the Great Big Veg Challenge has to give every veg a fighting chance. Even the Stingnose. Chris and I loved these wraps and the horseradish was delicious with the salmon. The children were less impressed. Freddie scored this two out of ten. Alex told me, "This is the first vegetable recipe I haven't loved."