Preparing horseradish

Start by lifting several large horseradish roots. The woody main stems are preferable to the slightly rubbery side stems, but the latter can be used if need be. This root is two years old.

Cut the green stems off, peel the roots with a paring knife or peeler (preferably under running water) and trim off any dirty pieces. It’s important to work fast in a well ventilated area as the volatile oils given off by horseradish are much, much stronger than the strongest onions and almost all chillies. I tend to peel and cut only one or two roots at a time, processing them and keeping them sealed away before peeling and cutting the next ones. Yes, horseradish really is that strong.

Horseradish is one of the few vegetables whose preparation really does require a food processor - and one that seals well. Again, this is because of the fumes. Use the food processor to grate the prepared roots. I strongly recommend doing this at arm’s length, using the pusher to both push the horseradish onto the grating disc and keep the bowl sealed. There’s no way I’d prepare even a small amount of horseradish using a handgrater!

Now for the fun bit. Remove the lid from the food processor and change the grating disc for the chopping blade. Do this at arm’s length and do not put your face above the bowl - you will definitely regret it if you do.

Process the horseradish down to a very coarse pulp, then add a couple of good pinches of pickling salt and then trickle in a good quality distilled vinegar while processing further. You’re aiming for a fine pulp - not a puree - that’s thoroughly damp but not soaking with vinegar. You may have to use a spatula to push the horseradish down to the blade, so again be careful.


While you’ve been preparing the horseradish, you should also be sterilising your storage jars in a pan of boiling water. I boil them for 10 minutes, then dry them in the oven (set to 100C) and allow to cool slightly. The horseradish is not cooked or heat processed in any way (which would destroy the taste and heat), so it’s important that the bottles are properly sterilised.

Carefully spoon the prepared horseradish into the cooled, sterilised jars and screw down the lids. While still a bit sharp to the nose, the horseradish fumes will no longer blow your head off thanks to the effects of the vinegar on the volatile oils. Prepared horseradish must be stored in the refrigerator and will last for two to three months, but is best up to two months. When it starts to discolour, throw it away.

Using prepared horseradish

While prepared horseradish’s obvious use is in horseradish sauce as served with roast beef or on steak sandwiches, there are other uses.

One of my favourites is using it to make an excellent and zingy mashed potato.

Heat the milk to be used in the mashed potato until it starts to steam, then stir in a couple of teaspoons of prepared horseradish and allow to infuse for five minutes.

Then make your mashed potato using the horseradish infusion.

As for horseradish sauce, whip 150ml of double cream into stiff peaks, then fold in a teaspoon of caster sugar, half a teaspoon of mustard powder, half a teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of white pepper and two teaspoons of good white wine vinegar.

I add a good couple of tablespoons of prepared horseradish, but you can vary this according to taste. The most important thing is to press out the vinegar and moisture from the prepared horseradish before adding it to the sauce - place it on a piece of kitchen paper, fold the paper around it, and press flat until the moisture stops running out. Then unfold the paper and fold the horseradish into the sauce.

And don’t limit your use of horseradish sauce to beef. It’s also excellent with roast pork and even with fattier lamb/mutton. We had pot-roast lamb tonight (with potatoes, beetroot, carrots and onions) and a small amount of horseradish cut nicely through the fattiness of the lamb.

I also like a little prepared horseradish with oily fish - particularly mackerel - and on beef burgers.

For the full Stonehead Horse Burger experience, beat together cream cheese, a couple of tablespoons of home-made mayonnaise, half a small onion (finely diced), a couple of tablespoons of prepared horseradish, a good pinch of mustard powder, a good pinch of white pepper and a good pinch of smoked paprika. (It should have a thick, spreadable consistency.)

Place a layer of lettuce on the bottom of a good burger bun and spread a good layer of the horseradish spread on the underside of the top of the bun. Slap a cooked, quality burger on the lettuce, close the bun and eat.

It’s not only delicious, but it’s great to watch the look on the face of guests when you present them with “horse burger”!

Other uses for prepared horseradish include a little added to salad dressings, as a glaze for steaks, spare ribs and pork chops (mix together horseradish, a couple of splashes of white wine, olive oil and a smooth mustard, then smear over the top of the meat), stirred into scrambled eggs (go easy), and in pickles and relishes (goes well with cucumbers).