Unearth the forgotten Christmas Eve 'sleet' recipe: A zero-waste delight

Resembling a thick mushroom soup, 'sleet' is essentially water used for cooking mushrooms, thickened with flour. This used to be my grandmother's go-to recipe, but it gradually fell out of practice over the years. However, when I prepared this concoction for the first time last Christmas Eve, my family was astonished - never expecting to find magic in just mushroom water and flour. They were all smitten from the first spoonful.

Rooted in Polish Christmas Eve traditions, 'sleet' owes its luscious flavor and inviting aroma to the mushroom-infused water. With the addition of flour, it thickens, and somewhat replicates the consistency of a creamy mushroom sauce.

To begin with, I remove the dried mushrooms from their container or packaging and rinse them thoroughly in warm water. Then I get rid of any existing impurities. Next, I immerse the cleaned mushrooms in warm, boiled water. The water mustn't be too cold, so as to not toughen the mushrooms, and not too hot either; else the mushrooms might lose their natural fragrance.

Ingredients:

• 8.8 oz dried mushrooms,
• 2 heaped tablespoons of potato flour,
• 1 small head of garlic,
• vegetable broth.

Method:

1. Clean the mushrooms thoroughly and soak them in warm water. Leave this overnight.
2. The next day, cook the mushrooms in the same soaking water.
3. Simmer the mushrooms until they soften. This should take around 30 minutes.
4. Drain the mushrooms and chop them up into smaller bits.
5. Add your preferred spices to the mushroom broth, pop in some chopped garlic and a cube of vegetable stock. Let it simmer for a bit longer.
6. In another bowl, whisk the flour with a little water to form a smooth suspension.
7. Slowly introduce the flour suspension to the mushroom broth and stir continuously till the soup thickens.
8. Serve the soup warm and enjoy!