Kysela Vomacka
Whether vomacka is on regular rotation in your winter cooking or you've only sampled it at one of our local restaurants, everyone can agree that vomacka is synonymous with the New Prague area. This thick and creamy ethnic soup has many variations, with some recipes handed down through the generations and others modified to accommodate current tastes. There is booya and vomacka, some recipes use heart, squirrel or rabbit and other variations use no meat at all. Some recipes call for a few extra spices and some get specific on the types of vegetables one should add. Its always interesting to learn about a new way to prepare this soup and below, one of our staff writers shares a variation of this traditional soup that he and his family enjoy. The recipe for kysela vomacka (translation: sour gravy) is served with rye bread on the side. Another tasty variation is to serve over mashed potatoes, with russet potatoes making the best mashed potatoes. A cruet of white vinegar is also recommended to be at hand, to add if you have a personal preference for more vinegar. As the cold winter winds give us a chill, we encourage you to give this recipe a try and warm up with a comforting bowl of this delicious soup.
KYSELA VOMACKA - SOUR VOMACKA
Cut a beef heart into several pieces. Put heart into a soup pot, cover with water. Add: 2 bay leaves ½ tsp. salt 5 whole cloves 5 whole all spice Peel and cut a medium onion into wedges and add to soup pot Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for one hour or longer until meat is tender. Turn off heat and remove meat to a plate to cool. Strain broth through a fine sieve. Return broth to the pot. Peel and cube three potatoes and cut l ½ cups of onion and add to pot. Heat slowly. Trim and cut meat into ½ inch cubes and add to pot. Add a fresh bay leaf, ½ tsp. ground allspice, ½ tsp. chili powder, ½ tsp. caraway, and ½ tsp. salt. When vegetables are cooked, add 1 cup of heavy cream, and 2 Tbsp. of white vinegar. Combine 2 Tbsp. flour and 1/3 c. water. Lower the heat on the soup pot. Whisk the water and flour together and slowly add to the soup pot. Stir constantly until the flour mixture is thoroughly incorporated.